Martis – the dream merchant
The imagination that has enveloped the Lankan public with schools rugby is as great as or even more emotional than the game of cricket. Still a crux schools rugby encounter will draw as many spectators to a venue as much when Sri Lanka plays their arch rivals India. Yet the difference is this occurs more often at schools matches rather than cricket internationals in a season.
Royal skipper Bhanuka Gamage all agog after giving Martis his fifth title - Pix by Amila Gamage
The schools rugby league final between Royal and Isipathana was no exception. The Royal College rugby complex was filled to capacity, and both teams until that crucial moment wore the unbeaten tag.
Amidst all that excitement there was another significant factor that could not be dispelled or forgotten. At centre stage there was a man who is a born and bred Isipathanian and former rugby player of the school, later the coach who guided the green shirts to many an accolade and now a true professional guiding the Blue and Gold soldiers from Reid Avenue to their new destiny.
Sanath Martis is a name in the rugby arena that has stood tall for almost three decades now. Today Martis has made a name for himself in rugby coaching since he got involved with his alma mater as the junior coach, under 13 and 15 way back in 1985.
Now he has scaled another mountain by guiding the Royalists to a new high in rugby by winning both legs of the Bradby Shield thus beating Trinity who were unbeaten up to that point and then going on to win the schools’ league title beating Isipathana who were also unbeaten up to the wire.
In fact the league title win by Royal was his fifth school league championship title. His first such achievement came in 1992 when he guided his alma mater Isipathana in 1992 who won the triple by winning seven’s, league and knockout.
Then Martis proved his coaching acumen three years in succession by grooming the lads of Bambalapitiya – St. Peter’s, taking them to title honours in 2006, 07 and 2010 in which year they won the triple.
Looking back at his early involvement with the game, he represented Isipathana in all age groups before finishing off his school rugby career in 1984, yet, made that break the opportunity for a new beginning as a coach.
His biggest challenge was at the age of 24 when he was asked to take over the Isipathana senior rugby side in 1988 due to his mentor O.W.R. Perera migrating to Australia. His experience of having played for CR and FC from 1984 to 1988 proved to be a blessing in disguise which helped him to guide the Isipathanians to become triple champions and also produce champion teams in the under 15 and under 17 age groups.
Sanath Martis - Pic by Anuradha Bandara
In the year 1993 Martis was invited to take over the Kurunegala RFC (KRFC) team which was his first club coaching assignment and here too it ended with success as he was able to guide the KRFC to become Division ‘B’ champions and gain promotion to the top division. During that period he was also involved in coaching St. Anne’s.Later for three years from 1997 to 2000 he coached the Wesley side before taking over CR and FC in 2001 and was again involved with Isipathana for two years.
Martis left Isipathana and in 2004 was invited by the rector and sports coordinator of St. Peter’s to coach the school rugby team. Isipathana’s loss turned out to be a big gain for the Peterites. The first year with St. Peter’s turned out to be a fact finding mission and the next year he settled down to guide the Peterites to become the runners-up in the knock-out tournament.
From there on there was no falling back as the Peterites under his guidance turned out to be a ruthless and feared side in the school rugby circles. For two successive years (2006 and 2007) the Peterites clinched the league and knockout titles title and in 2008 they bagged the knock-out title again.
Injuries to their players put the Peterites backward in 2009 but Martis a man of no nonsense got the boys together and succeeded to guide them to become triple champions in 2010 and his fourth league championship title. For four years 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010 he was the coach of the Sri Lanka U20 team that represented the country at the Junior Asiad Rugby Championships.
Leaving St. Peter’s in 2011 he again coached CR for a brief period before he was appointed as the head coach of the Development Squad and along with that he also held the post of assistant coach of the national team with Phil Greening as the head coach. Last year he took over the Royal side and was able to guide them to the fourth position and also the runners-up in the knock-out tournament.
Martis – the man of few words said “I saw that they could be moulded to a champion team and also I had the confidence they could achieve but it’s just that you have to be patient. When the school rugby season began in March I had to draw up plans accordingly. It was tough as after we played our first two matches there was a big break in between due to the April holidays, Wesak and other off days.
“The first round matches were completed on May 9 but the second round matches began three weeks later on May 30 but we had to play our second leg of the Bradby Shield on May 21 so the boy’s had to practice while most of the other teams had a good rest. When the second round started our boys were badly injured with four top players almost being out. But even then it was the hard work put in by the team even though they were injured brought us positive results.”
Martis speaking of the President’s Trophy knockout tournament which is scheduled to be played said, “We will go all-out to win the double and I have the confidence that the boy’s can deliver the goods.” Martis the IRB Level I, II and III certificate holder and IRB recognised coach educator finally stated humbly “I know guiding three different schools with three different cultures to win titles is not an easy task. But, I consider this as an opportunity that I have fulfilled in my life, what more enjoyment can one get to see a lad that you have moulded wearing the national jersey and going great guns”.