Kandy Sports Club established 146 years ago in the country’s hill capital are the champions once again. They lived up to their reputation and finished the season of the Dialog league rugby tournament unbeaten.
The team has created an unique record unparalleled in the annals of local rugby by winning the league for the sixth successive year and 21 times since 1994. Most of the clubs did all they could to lay their hands on this league title but the proud Kandy side prevented them from snatching it away from their custody with some superb rugby and they continued to walk the local rugby world like a colossus.
It was in 1994 that Kandy SC, under the leadership of Indrajith Bandaranayake, secured their first league championship. Since 1994 they have won the league on 21 occasions, the highest by any club.
During this season’s tournament Kandy SC played as a very well organized team and never squandered possession as they always endeavoured to put it to good use. They played to a plan and pattern and every player knew his job well and that is what separated them from the rest of the other teams.
Another factor in Kandy’s favour is that they have the right replacements for the job just in case players are injured.
The Club was established in 1874 as the Kandy Athletic, Boating, Cricket, Football and Dancing Club. In 1888, 14 years later, the name was changed to Kandy Sports Club when 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.
The Club continued to exist in difficult circumstances until Nittawela became the permanent home of the Kandy Sports Club. The shift to Nittawela was no easy task and was made possible through the untiring efforts of some eminent personalities.
Kandy Sports Club’s resurgence was in 1992 and they had a marvelous impact on the schools in the locality as the hometown Club’s triumphs ignited new enthusiasm among the schools and this is reflected in the composition of the all-conquering outfit.
Kandy Sports Club’s untroubled journey to success in all three major tournaments can be simply put down to the capacity of rugby development and promotion. The facilities provided are open to everybody, not only members.
In Kandy rugby is today the number one glamour sport and whenever Kandy Sports Club is involved fans flock to the venues in their thousands to enjoy the thrills and spills that the players provide. Rugby is also known as the king in Kandy’s sports calendar.
It was in 1992 for the first time Kandy SC won a tournament and that was the Knock-out beating Police by 22 points to 9. Then in 1994 they won the league for the first time. Some of the ardent supporters of the club, have said after the wins that it was so important for them.
The responsibility to maintain the highest standards rests with the team members themselves. No one in the Kandy Sports Club set-up is more important than the players. They worked for hours on the field and in the gym and their brains functioned well.
Kandy Sports Club’s rugby maintains an iron-clad grip on the game at all levels. Their system was all about sharing information at different levels. They have proved they the best and kept winning through determination, discipline, dedication and believing in themselves which are the characteristics needed by a team to reach the top.
The squad this season was made up of Nigel Ratwatte (captain), Roshan Weeraratne, Gayan Jayawardena, Damith Dissanayake, Danushka Ranjan, Heshan Silva, Lavanga Perera, Oshan Perera, Tharinda Ratwatte, Dansha Dayan, Kasun Jayasuriya, Lasitha Attanagoda, Tharindu Chathuranga, Yakoob Ali, Buwanaka Udangamuwa, Kavindu Perera, Jason Dissanayake, Shehan Pathirana, Srinath Sooriyabandara, Soyuru Anthony, Anuruddha Wilwara, Ganuka Dissanayake, Ashan Darling, Vishwamitra Jayasinghe, TPL Ranaweera, Heshan Jansen, Malitha Rashmika, Lahiru Daulagala, WSK Madushanka, RL Chandrarathne, Mohamed Shabeer, Tharaka de Silva, Diluksha Dange, Charles Praveen, HCS Perera, NKB Priyarathne, Kavishka Lakshan, TGM Hilmi and Kapila de Silva as coach.