Havelocks have obtained the services of several outstanding players as well as the cream of schoolboy rugby players for the forthcoming season. They are now confident of putting their mediocre performances in the past into the dust bin forever.
The man responsible for this rugby resurgence at Havelock Park is their President Tyronne Coonghe and the super looking committee consisting of several former rugby stalwarts such as Roshan Deen, Royce Samaratunga, Lal Silva, Michael Jayasekera, Ana Sarnapala, Gamini Fernando, Y.C. Chang and S.W. Chang.
There are over 60 players attending practices and 35 to 40 players have been selected to the A Division squad.
Thusitha Peiris who took the Park Club to the No 4 spot in the Caltex League and also helped them to bag the championship title at the Western Province Tournament has been coaching the players with a rarely seen dedication. Recently he even underwent a coaching stint in Australia.
Never mind the weather… The young crop of rugby players scrums down at practices under the watchful eyes of Coach Thusitha Peiris. – Pic by J. Weerasekera |
He pays keen attention to the players needs and is always at hand to advice them. His main idea is to get the team into the top bracket and make teams like Kandy SC and CR to bite the dust this season.
Leonard de Silva the former Peterite captain and Sri Lanka’s National Sevens skipper is the Assistant Coach and to all reports the coach and the assistant are working hand in glove and the results will be known very soon no sooner the season starts.
The Havelocks are aware that a lot of focus is on the team this season and their management is happy that they have been able to get some of the top schools players to train with them.
The side is led by Rajeev Perera, the ‘tough-as-nails’ Sri Lanka hooker and former St. Peter’s skipper. The seniors in the side are bristling with experience with Kavinda Jayasena, a Trinity Lion and former national player), Wasim Thajudeen, the former S. Thomas’ skipper making a comeback after injury. In all probability Thajudeen will play in the pivotal fly half’s berth as he has the experience in having played in that spot for the national team as well. Ruwan Suranga is another experienced player having captained the Park Club earlier and is as well a national player. Nuwan Samith, Shaqir Badurdeen (national poolist), Roshan Rajapakse, Sumith Jagoda, Isuru Pandiperumaka and Chanaka Fonseka are the other seasoned campaigners.
The Park Club is proud to have acquired the services of Dunstan de Silva, the former Kandy SC captain and Sri Lanka player. Adding strength to their side is former CH&FC captain Jayantha Ranaweera, also a national prop forward, Senthil Kumar and Rukshan Wijesinghe of CH fame. The latter is a talented center three-quarter. He is a former St. Peter’s College player, Isuru Pandiperuma of Air Force, ex-Antonian Ranjan Baddegama who turned out for CH last year, Diran Warnakulasuriya of Royal who also played for CR&FC, and SajithBandara the former CH play maker.
Adding the much needed fresh talent to the side are a host of outstanding school leavers such as Harsha Weerakkody (St. Peter’s and national under 19 player), Lee Keegel, the crash tackler of St. Peter’s, Peter Canute, another under 19 national player, Kavindu Lolitha (St. Peter’s prop forward), Roshan Fonseka (St. Peter’s), Isuru Shantha from Lumbini, Old Trinitian Anojan, who played for CH last year and Chanaka Bandara of Dharmaraja. |
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