Royal regain Dr. R.L. Hayman Trophy after two years
Royal College triumphed over traditional rivals S. Thomas’ College to reclaim the prestigious Dr. R.L. Hayman Trophy after two years, with a convincing 25-17 aggregate victory. The second leg of the 31st edition of this water polo classic, played yesterday at the Sugathadasa Swimming Pool Complex, ended with Royal winning 12-8, adding to their earlier 13-9 first-leg victory last week.
Led by Mihin Wanigasekara, Royal dominated the two-leg encounter, displaying superior play in all departments. They overpowered S. Thomas’, winning both legs comfortably to clinch their 10th Hayman Trophy title. S. Thomas’ have 17 wins to their name in the long-standing rivalry, with four encounters ending in draws.
Royal took control of the game early in the second leg, displaying excellent teamwork and sharp offensive play. Yashantha de Silva was in fine form, scoring from the left flank to give Royal a 6-2 lead. S. Thomas’ struggled to break through Royal’s strong defence, and by halftime, Royal had extended their lead to 7-2, with Dimithri Liyanage adding another goal just before the half time.
The Thomians found it difficult to respond to Royal’s aggressive gameplay. Without key players like Michael Gunawardena and Dinuk Wickramasinghe, who were part of the Under-15 team that had won the Mahinda Liyanage Trophy, S. Thomas’ lacked the firepower needed to mount a comeback.
After the halftime break, Royal continued to apply pressure, scoring two quick goals to increase their lead to 9-3. Nehemaih Krishnaswami further extended the lead to 10-3 with a brilliant solo effort. Despite S. Thomas’ attempts to fight back, Royal maintained their advantage, leading 11-6 by the fourth quarter.
S. Thomas’ managed to add two more goals, with Shehran Nawaz scoring after a deflection, but Royal’s Dimithri Liyanage sealed the victory with a spectacular goal, making the final score 12-8 in the second leg.
The aggregate score of 25-17 reflected Royal’s dominance across both matches. This victory marks Royal’s return to the top in the Hayman Trophy series after a two-year gap. Despite S. Thomas’ valiant efforts, they were unable to match Royal’s relentless pace and tactical superiority.