A determined lot out to make an impact this season
Ashroff Muzmi (Captain)
D.S.S has no long history in the rugby field, unlike most of the schools playing in this year’s Division 1, segment A and B. When tracing back the history of D.S.S rugby, the game was introduced in year 1977, by prominent names of those days, including DIG Ranmuthugala, Ramzi Raheem , T. Chang and J. Settar pioneering the introduction of rugby to the school. In the past 39 years, D.S.S Rugby has produced outstanding club players such as Imran Hassen, Thusitha Peries, Lakmal Abeysuriya, Marlon de Silva and the latest is Buddhima Piyaratna, the hard running wing three, who represented Sri Lanka in the junior rugby Asiad in Singapore last year.
D.S.S rugby saga continued on the timeline, and they won the Division 2 Segment ‘A’ championship in 2006, despite their demotion in connection with an eligibility of a player prior to the season in the same year. The qualification they gained in 2010, to play in the Division 1 group C, was indeed a morale booster for D.S.S lads and a year later, they ended up being segment B runner up to earn a promotion to Division 1, which was a 10 year long wait for them.
This is a tremendous achievement since they had struggled and sweated for many years without much success, but to see themselves positioned in Division 1. After inclusion into the Division 1 rugby in 2012, playing the game with schools, with a long history of rugby behind them, D.S.S was demoted next year to Division 2.But in year 2014 they were back in Division 1, but they could not clung in to it. But now D.S.S is back into Division 1 school rugby this year, and they are in the 1A group, along with schools such as the defending champions Royal, Trinity, S. Thomas’, St. Josephs and Wesley. Basically they are included in a very tough group.
Abdul Saffan (Vice captain)
D.S.S commenced their rugby campaign this season, with a 10-36 loss to formidable Royal outfit. But they played well, holding the favourites to a 10-17 lead at half time. But in the second half, they slipped behind as their opponents accumulated points. The main reason was that they did not had enough reserve players for replacements. Mohammed Ashroff Muzmi, the skipper of D.S.S. 1XV this year, who plays as outside center, is a determined lad, with lot of expectations. He mentioned: “We are out to perform our best in coming fixtures, and we have a sufficient pool of players now, unlike prior to the game against Royal”.
The D.S.S Rugby Development Foundation, established in 1995, is doing a yeoman service to uplift the game at school. They have taken total care of the players, by providing all the requirements including nutrition. A special mention should be made of the present Principal R. M. M. Ratnayake, for giving the fullest backing for the game at College. Remaining games for D.S.S in the 1st round: April 1st vs. S. Thomas’ at CR and FC, April 11th vs. Trinity at CR and FC, April 22nd vs. Wesley at CR & FC and April 29th vs. St. Joseph’s at CR and FC.
D.S.S. 1XV rugby pool 2016:
Props: R. Arjun, Lahiru Peries, Sanura Lasith, Nethma Nanayakkara
Hooker: Imaad Siddik, Enura Randika
Locks: Gaveen Perera, Shehan Sanjula, Y. Saranga, C. Asindu, Ruwan Rajika
Flankers: Bhagya Rathnayake, N. Samitha, T. Isuru
No.8: Abdul Saffan (Vice captain)
Scrum half: Mohammed Aman, Sadisha Dilanga, Lalanka Wijesundera
Stand Off: Mohammed Sheemer
Centers: Mohammed Ashroff Muzmi (Captain), Vishal Wijesinghe, Ruchira Chamath Wings: Pubudu Chanaka, Rahul Silva, Yehela Kushan, Shane Nirmal,Danidu Liyanage, Vishal Akalanka
Full Back: Umesh Ishara
Coach : Sumedha Malewana, Assistant Coach: Dev Anand and Team Manager : U.A.D. Jayantha.
