Kandy SC finished a highly successful inter club league rugby season under the captaincy of Nigel Ratwatte, but it is also important to bear in mind that the club should never forget the dedicated promoters who rendered yeoman service to bring the sport to its current glorious level.
Rugby is also known as the King of Kandy’s sports and none can forget the services rendered to the sport in the early days by people like Stanley Martin, Colonel Stanley Ratwatte, Chandra Wijenayake, John Loam, Dr. KB Sangakkara, David Bennet, John Penny, Frutz Scharenguivel, SB Pilapitiya, YC Chang, EW Balasuriya, Dr. CDL Fernando, Dr. Dago Gunawardena, Dr. S. Nadesen, Dr. John Karunaratne, Emil van der Poorten, Jayantissa Ratwatte, Maurice Perera, Oswin Silva, Lt. Gen Denzil Kobbekaduwa, Dharmasiri Madugalle, Elien Wanigasekara, Nico de Silva and the long time ground boy who was like the club’s manager A.Ratnayake.
Later people like Dr. Sarath Kapuwatte, under whose presidency Kandy SC only won the first trophy in 42 years, Malik Samarawickrema, Dr. S. Jayakuru, Sarath Perera, Hafiz Marikar, Irwin Howie, Sarath Soysa, CH Seneviratne, Iswan Omar, Kishin Butani, Nimal Lewke who coached the team to win the first triple championship, Hassan Sinhawansa, Anil Jayasianghe, Nimal Malagamuwa, Dudley Gunatilleke, Wimal Chandrasiri, Lesley Soysa, Merryl Ford Gunatilleke, William Weerasinghe, Priyantha Ekanayake, Duncan Nugawella, Maurice Joachim, Tony Arnolda the man who helped to level the ground, coaches like Alex Lazarus, Nimal Lewke, Col. Bertie Dias, B.Robertson, Paddy Stuart, CP Abeygunawardena, George Simpkin, Tulaguase Laga, Johan Taylor, Sean Wijesinghe, Nalaka Weerakoddy, Saliya Kumara, Asoka Jayasena, Fazil Marija and not forgetting the ground assistant Kumar and the physiotherapist.
It must also be said that in 1949, the garbage dumping ground at Nittawela was leased out to Kandy SC by the Kandy Municipal Council, due to the keenness of the then Municipal Council members and Kandy SC committee members. They did the needful to make the garbage dumping ground a suitable rugby playing venue.
In 1954, the ground was ready for conducting games. Some of the noteworthy personalities behind the grading of the Nittawela ground were Chandra Wijenayake whose 12th death anniversary was a few days back, Dr. KB Sangakkara, David Bennet, John Penny, Colonel Stanley Ratwatte, ER and EL Senanayake, Bennet de Soysa, Christie Dunuwille and Dr. JC Block all of them who are no more.
Kandy Sports Club has a record for being the most successful club in the country in rugby since 1992. So the club is with the most number of wins in the league and knockouts. The reputation this club has achieved wherever the game is played has been earned as a result of their consistent success spanning over several decades right throughout the ranks from school leavers to senior players.
Many famous rugby players have grown to great heights from this club not only to represent the National team but also playing for overseas grade one teams. It was founded in 1874 as the Kandy Athletic, Boating, Cricket, Football and Dancing Club. In 1888 and 14 years later, the name was changed to Kandy Sports Club when the club also started playing rugby, hockey and polo.