Going back half a century

A historic school rugby encounter that took place about this time 50 years ago will come alive again when members of the two rival sides meet on Thursday for a reunion dinner at the Royal Colombo Golf Club.

The historic 1958 encounter, when Royal beat Trinity to win the Bradby Shield for the first time in seven years, will be recalled in all its thrilling detail at the anniversary event hosted by Australia-based Dudley Fernando, the legendary skipper who led the triumphant Royal team that year.

Also visiting from Australia will be Geoff Weinmann, who was Royal’s rugby coach that year. Mr. Weinmann will be both chief guest and guest speaker on that occasion. How both teams and individual players performed that day 50 years ago will surely dominate the conversation at Thursday’s dinner.

The Trinitians will recall how the period between 1952 and ’56 were golden rugby years for the school. During that peak era Trinity produced some of the country’s best players, many of whom went on to join the national team. Sports fan veterans will recall such stellar names as Kavan Rambukwella, Franklyn Jacob, Lucky Vitharne, Eric Roles, Mahinda Panditharatne, Mahinda Ratwatte, Ken Murray, Ana Bandaranaike, Denzil Kobbekaduwe, Nimal Maralande, and D. Madugalle, to name some of the players.

Meanwhile, the Royalists would recall how the school in 1958 was poised to break what seemed like an eternal jinx; Royal had been losing the Bradby Shield to Trinity for six consecutive years.

The school’s resolve to win was consolidated when Royal teacher, the late Mr. M. T. Thambapillai, and coach Geoff Weinmann put their heads together to formulate a game plan for success. Royal’s great rugby revival is attributed to “Thamba”, a Trinitian who joined Royal as a science teacher and then went on to become the school’s master-in-charge of rugby for close on three decades. It was “Thamba” who invited Mr. Weinman to come on board as Royal’s rugby coach, back in 1949.

The ’58 Royal team comprised: Dudley Fernando (Captain) A. S. Dissanayake, J. V. P. Samarasekara, R. H. Fernando, G. T. Van Geyzel, L. de Silva, M. L. Loos, E. L. Pereira, K. Nalendra, R. A. Pothuhera, G. Thiruchittampalam, R. Sivaratram, M.L. Anghie, H.S. De Silva, Lal Senaratne and C. de Silva.

The Trinity team was led by Ken de Joedt, supported by stalwarts like Sena de Silva, M. Azain, Denzil Kobbekaduwe, Nimal Maralande, Mike de Alwis and Eric Roles. How the game unfolded, with the historic try achieved by Lorenz, is part of local rugby lore.

The Royalists will also recall how the team, led by skipper Fernando holding aloft the coveted shield, were given a heroes’ welcome from the boys, the school principal, Mr. Dudley de Silva, and his staff, at the weekly school assembly. The sound of that standing ovation will ring in their ears for as long as they meet to talk rugby and go on nostalgia trips.