Fred Perera decries paid coaches
Fred Perera with 1989 Royal skipper Anura Dhammika
In Sri Lanka, at the moment, is a former rugby stalwart of Royal College, Neuro Surgeon, Dr. Fred Perera. His annual visit to Sri Lanka is timed to take in the Bradby games. He claims that he has not missed a Bradby, save for the time he was doing his post-graduate studies, initially in England, and later in Australia.
Dr. Perera played for Royal in 1968 (under CR ‘Bulla’ de Silva) 1969 (under Haren Malwatte) and in 1970 (under Jagath Fernando). He captained the team in 1971.
Rugby personality Malik Samarawickrema, who was one of his team-mates in 1968, shared coaching duties with him in 1978 and 1979. He looked after the forwards, while the former concentrated on the back division.
He looks back with pride on the Royal teams of 1988 and 1989, which he coached with Uddaka Tennekoon as his assistant, Lasitha Gunaratne skippered that all conquering team of 1988 that included Anura Dhammika and Sujeeva Cooray. That team won all 16 matches they played. Two of the wins came against the under 19 schools team from Hong Kong.
Dr. Perera enthuses about the 1989 team led by Anura Dhammika. They did lose the Gunaratne Trophy, but the coach refers to that period as “the pinnacle of his coaching”.
The memories of important games come flooding back. The first leg of the 1989 Bradby at Bogambara was played on a JVP Curfew day. The late Vijaya Wimalaratne surrounded the ground with Army personnel and the match was played before 40 spectators or 50. The second leg in Colombo was postponed from Saturday to Monday on account of another curfew. Both matches were won 9-3 by Royal. What abides in the memory is that the Royal Captain, after receiving the Shield, led his team on a victory lap at the Sugathadasa Stadium.
Isipathana has, down the years, been a tough team to beat. However, Dr. Perera recalls a 14-6 win in his first season, only to lose the 1971 match 24-6 when he captained.
Harking back to that 1988 side of Gunaratnes, it also included some famous players such as Alfred Hensman, Janoda Thoradeniya, Faiz Sourjah and a New Zealander Bruce Cameron (in addition to Dhammika and Cooray who were mentioned earlier).
The Royalist, who was to captain one of the teams he coached, came from a humble back-ground. There was much opposition to his appointment. The Coach, very tactfully, took the matter up with the Principal who made the correct decision.
Dr. Perera points out that Dr. Maiya Gunasekera and he were the last unpaid coaches at Royal. He is not in favour of professional coaches as they have the win at all costs mentality. The spirit of the game has suffered, he says. The amount of money spent on these hired coaches is mind-boggling.
He recalls that Geoff Weinman, a former Royal and Ceylon rugby stalwart gave him some well-meaning advice when he was about to embark on his coaching stint with Royal. Weinman said: “You will make lots of friends but probably more enemies when coaching Royal”.
Another former Royalist, Mahes Rodrigo, who represented Royal as well as the country at Cricket and Rugger, exemplified the Royal spirit – “Play hard to win. If you can’t, then lose, stand aside and cheer the winners”.
Dr. Fred Perera, one of Royal’s all time great players and coaches, takes a parting shot at paid coaches. According to him, ‘Winning is not everything, It is the only thing’ is the coaching dictum of paid coaches.