U-20 Rugby: Aabid dethrones Lee and guides his school S. Thomas' too

It looked like Avishka Lee and his team, Wesley College, were going to have an easy cross over. 

But with two more weeks to go, there's an interception and it's a big and costly one for Lee and Wesley. 

As predicted last week, Aabid Cader dethroned Lee in a big way and so does his team, S. Thomas' College, who pushes down Wesley by a thumping margin. 

And this makes Cader and S. Thomas' the new rulers of the Singer-the Sunday Times Most Popular Schoolboy Ruggerite of the Year and Most Popular Rugby Team of Year 2017 competitions as it reaches the 13th week. 

Cader, who was trailing Lee by 801 votes is incidentally leading this week by 4993 votes, a margin that is quite hard to deceive with his current progress and with only two weeks remaining. 

Lee's followers may have had the impression that it's a cakewalk, but it's an inevitable feeling of a total astonishment they must be feeling at present. 

Yet Lee added 375 to his tally, which reads now as 3715, but nothing is over, until it's really over. And the remaining two weeks are anticipated with unexpected surprises. 

Behind Lee, comes another probable invader in Sasindu Rathnaweera of Ananda College, who gradually steams ahead. 

Last week he added 467 to take his tally to 1708 and by the looks he may produce a surprise a two in the remaining couple of weeks. 

In the team competition, S. Thomas' romps ahead to dislodge Wesley by a thumping margin and take the lead with 8725 votes. 

Wesley slips down to second place while Ananda remains at third place, ahead of Isipathana and Royal, who are at fourth and fifth positions respectively. 

The competitions, which enables readers to vote for their most preferred school Rugby player of the ongoing Singer Schools Division I Rugby League Championship 2017, will run until July 30. 

From April 23, the Sunday Times, along with Wijeya Newspapers publications -- Daily Mirror, Daily Lankadeepa and Ada -- will publish coupons for 15 continuous weeks, numbered for each week from 1 to 15 with the deadline set on Thursdays of each week. Names of players shown in the list are those with 30 and above votes. 

Most Popular Ruggerite 

Aabid Cader (S. Thomas' College) 8708 

Avishka Lee (Wesley College) 3715 

Sasindu Rathnaweera (Ananda College) 1708 

Sumudu Rankothge (Isipathana College) 629 

Ovin Askey (Royal College) 419 

Kasun Amarasinghe (Nalanda College) 263 

Yuzraan Lantra (Zahira College) 216 

Shewon Gregory (St. Joseph's College) 251 

Praveen Ranasinghe (St. Aloysius College) 192 

Chamodh Fernando (Isipathana College) 193 

Rishmal Fernando (Royal College) 103 

Dilan Salinda (Veluwana College) 105 

Most Popular Rugby Team 

S. Thomas' College 8725 

Wesley College 3712 

Ananda College 1753 

Isipathana College 815 

Royal College 615 

St. Joseph's College 286 

Zahira College 218 

Nalanda College 263 

St. Aloysius' College 192 

Readers prizes go to: 1. M.F.M. Fahry, 1, New Street, Galle, 2. P.A. Sampath, 191/2, Vijaya Road, Salamulla, 3. Jacqualine Amath, 40/41, Katuwawela Road, Maharagama.