Hayman Trophy returns
Royal College water polo squad
Schoolboy anticipation is a common occurrence when it comes to sporting events, but the exhilaration that comes with the Hayman encounter is indescribable. With an electrifying atmosphere rivaled like no other game, Hayman will draw massive crowds as Royal College and S. Thomas’ College water polo teams take on each other at the Sugathadasa Swimming Pool for the 29th encounter, with the first leg next to take place Saturday.
This year’s encounter will be played with the Under-15 age group match beginning at 3.00p.m. and the Under-19 age group match beginning at 5.00p.m.. As the Dr. R.L. Hayman Trophy has been missing in action since 2019, the water polo game played across two legs between S. Thomas’ and Royal has resulted in players losing out on years of experience.
With two coloursmen on the Royal side after their 2019 victory and no coloursmen for S. Thomas’, getting into the water, this game is all about pure talent and raw emotion. The last game, played in 2019, saw domination from the Royal side with greater control of the ball throughout the two legs, giving Royal an aggregate victory of 21-17.
S. Thomas' College water polo squad
This was unlike 2018 where the game came down to the final minutes of the second leg and saw a Royal victory against a powerful Thomian side. This year the very same is expected of both teams going into two legs of the game within the next two weeks. There is nothing short of glory for the victors of Hayman. The tally between the two schools stands 16-9 to S. Thomas’. This year however, the Royalists are all out to retain the trophy and the Thomians too are hungry to reclaim.
The history of the encounter is as legendary as the game can get. The ecstatic rivalry began in 1992 in memory of late Dr. R.L. Hayman, a past Sub Warden of S. Thomas’ and donor of their swimming pool. The game since then has brought out great feats through those who have played it, including the five-year undefeated spell for S. Thomas’ from 2013 to 2017. This is after the five-year undefeated stint of the Royalists from 2005 to 2009 which also the first time the Hayman trophy resided at Reid Avenue after lying at Mount Lavinia since the inception of this Royal-Thomian encounter.
This encounter has evolved over the past encounters, as it is played with international referees to ensure the up to date rules are enforced, which brings out the highest standards of the game. This level of standard has resulted in both schools producing players who have represented the nation and have brought glory to the country over the past years.
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Officials: Dulan Peiris (Coach), Dinesh Kumarasinghe (Director of Sports), Rev. Marc Billimoria (Warden), Chariya Kurukulasuriya (Secretary), Carmen Fernando (TIC), Sachitha Jayathilake (Coach) |