U-20 Rugby: Royal's memorable rugby excursion in the Kiwi land

Royal’s senior rugby squad returned to Sri Lanka this week after a tour to Auckland, New Zealand. 

Besides playing two games against Rangitoto and Kings’ Colleges, the other highlights of the tour were the exclusive session with former All Blacks head coach Graham Henry and the opportunity to watch the All Blacks-Springboks game live at the OBE Stadium, Albany. 

There was also another very special moment during the tour. Bruce Cameron, a New Zealander who played in the all-conquering Royal rugby team of 1988, was presented with a memento by Lehan Gunaratne, son of the captain of the Royal rugby team of ’88, Lasitha ‘Bonsa’ Gunaratne. 

Bruce (6’3”) played for Royal as a centre, while he was here on an AFS programme. He has the rare distinction of scoring tries in both legs of the Bradby Shield.

Bruce is the only Kiwi to have played for Royal. Lasitha Gunaratne’s son, Lehan, was one of the youngest members of the touring squad. 

Though it is common for champion sports teams to be rewarded with foreign trips, tours to far-away lands such as New Zealand are rare. 

The Royal Rugby Advisory Committee, headed by Rohantha Peris, must be credited for its efforts to make this tour a reality.

Two others who worked selflessly for the benefit of this tour were Ravi Wijenathan and Prof Murali Mahadevan. 

The former is a member of the Royal Rugby Advisory Committee, while Prof Mahadevan, Royal basketball captain of 1981 and a triple coloursman (basketball, athletics, and water-polo), is now domiciled in Auckland. 

But here-in-lie the story in this story; a great bunch of Trinitians domiciled in Auckland also came forward to lend an invaluable hand. 

The Trinity effort was spearheaded by Raj Joseph, whose contributions to make this tour happen, were second to none. 

In fact, a grand dinner event was organised entirely by the Trinity group, in honour of the touring Royal team. 

Humble and magnanimous as they are, instead of calling it “Dinner hosted by Trinity”, they just coined it “The Bradby Dinner”. 

But then again, given that Royal and Trinity have been playing rugby against each other since 1920 (though the Bradby Series commenced in 1945), it is hardly surprising that these two schools and this great game has formed friendships, values, traditions, and a camaraderie that has lasted – not decades – but almost a century. 

Another example of this camaraderie was when the Trinity College Principal of 1999-2003 period, the late Prof Warren Breckenridge announced in 2003 at the Old Royalists’ Rugby Dinner that it would be the last occasion that he’s attending the dinner as he was retiring soon-after. 

No sooner this announcement was made, the congregation, consisting entirely of former Royal rugby players, stood and sang the Trinity anthem (chorus only) in his honour (the Old Royalists’ Rugby Dinner is held every year on the night before the Colombo-leg of the Bradby Shield, and other than former Royal rugby players who attend, few others such as the Principal of Trinity, and the President of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union are invited as special guest). 

Sadly, some incidents which have occurred in relation to the Bradby Shield encounters within last few years are best forgotten. 

Really, less spoken of them, the better. 

Suffice to say that all those involved with these two schools and this great game of ours would do well to note that there is a bigger value system and a kinship which transcend the importance of winning a match.