Kandy Sports Club’s latest win in the league, saw them retain the league title for the fifth consecutive year meaning they have won the Cup 20 times in 25 years since they won it first in 1994 and the pompous talk by other clubs that they could win the title only showed how shortsighted they were to write off the champions.
Celebrating twenty years at the top of Sri Lanka rugby Kandy SC can be labeled as the most dominant club in the history of rugby in the island. Kandy lost three matches but they were a cut above the rest of the teams as they were the only side to play to an organised pattern like a well-drilled unit where every player was motivated to play his part.
Kandy SC enjoyed the 2018/2019 season with special emphasis in the adoption of skill levels in the abbreviated form of the game at the Sevens.
But it was Richard Dharmapala who led the side to glory in the traditional format of the game with their sign-off and most important win over Havelock SC last Sunday at Havelock Park.
Kandy SC have now won the league 20 times since winning it first in 1994 followed by Havelock SC 14 times after first winning in 1950, CR and FC 13 times (first in 1952), Police SC 12 times (first in 1970), CH and FC 10 times (first in 1957), Army SC in 1973 and 1975, Dimbulla ACC in 1953 and 1959 and Navy SC once.
The present Ruby chairman of Kandy SC, a well known figure in the rugby field as a player and coach Lasantha Wijesuriya played a very committed backstage role and has been in this position for 19 years while the team manager was Kapila de Silva is his 15th year.
But the man who contributed the most was Malik Samarawickrema who left CR and FC in Colombo and obtained membership at Kandy SC and in the very first year the team enjoyed success thanks to his behind the scene role that gave security and assurance to all Kandy players. Some say that without him Kandy SC will be like a carnival without lights.
Kandy was founded in 1874 by coffee planters and others working in the plantations sector in and around Kandy. It was called the Kandy Athletic, Boating, Cricket, Football and Dancing Club. In 1888, 14 years later, the name was changed to Kandy Sports Club. The club also started playing rugby, hockey and polo. The home ground was Bogambara until 1939 when the British Colonial army took over during the Second World War.
Kandy SC continued to play rugby at the Bogambara ground without a club house. In 1949 the Municipal Council released the garbage dumping ground area at Nittawela to the club.