Rugby at Kingswood
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‘Second Row’ had given some interesting facts about the game. The book ‘Story of Kingswood’ authored by its founder Principal E.L. Blaze gives more facts about the game prior to 1906. Interestingly, initials of Blaze, the founder of the game here and Bradby are the same! Blaze writes thus! The life of Dr. Arnold was a source of inspiration! Rugby life was suggested to me by what I saw in St. James School, Calcutta. Blaze named his new school, Boys High school, this was in 1891.
He writes that, Trinity College was then led by Rev. Napire, Clavering but from the beginning he says, he sought to live on the ‘friendliest teams’ with the three schools in Kandy.
Rugby games have been played in 1891 with one school who joined to help the practice matches, namely, Kandy Industrial School under Donald Janz. There have been games with Christ Church, Matale and the U.K. Army Regiments and Scratch Teams from Wesley, S. Thomas’ and St. Anthony’s. A match of special interest was that between Kandy Rovers and Colombo played in Colombo in 1905. The Kandy team had eight Kingswoodians skippered by Guy Sansoni – Six footers all!
Moreover the centenary game with Trinity was celebrated in 2006 at Bogambara with great pomp and festivity.
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