Nishan Sembacuttiaratchy (CEO – ESOFT Metro Campus) handing over the sponsorship package to Wesley Principal Avanka Fernando while Darshana Dewanarayana (Head of Marketing – ESOFT Metro Campus) looks on (Pix by Sudath Malaweera)
Wesley College, celebrating their 151st year this year, launched their 69th rugby season with the sponsors’ felicitation at their historic pavilion in Campbell Park.
Fourth-year coloursman Sandul Gammanpila will lead the Double Blues with third-year coloursman Abdul Haadhi as Vice-Captain and fourth-year coloursman Hashim Thabeeth as Deputy Vice-Captain.
The Wesleyites will be guided this year yet again under a strong Kingswood-Wesley alumni coaching combination. Former Wesley, CR and FC, Havies league-winning captain and Sri Lanka National Tusker Henry Terence is the Head Coach.
Former Kingswood, CR and FC, Kandy SC, Sri Lanka and sevens specialist Amjad Buksh and former Wesley, Sri Lanka, CH and FC and Navy winger Niranjan Wickremeratne will be the Backs Coach. Former Kingswood, Sri Lanka and ex-Navy SC Skipper Thilina Weerasinghe is the Kicking Coach.
Meanwhile, the experienced Tharanga Galapitawatta is the physiotherapist, Madhuka Marasinghe is the trainer, whilst Pastor Emil Lasantha and Bro. Piumal Perera will continue as team manager and Master-in-Charge.
Citizens Development Business (CDB) will continue to support Wesley Rugby as the principal sponsor, strengthening a decade-long partnership. Deedat continues their support as a sponsor for yet another season. Hemas pharmaceutical, with their product ‘Appeton,’ are also joining as a sponsor.
The clothing partner will be Gordone Sri Lanka and WITCO (Wakkumbura Industrial Technology). The gumshield partner will be Align Dental Care and the higher education partner will be Esoft (ESU)
In terms of the schools rugby league, the Wesley lads are yet to win a league title; however, they were an inch close in 1997 and 2003/04, ending as runners-up.
Wesley’s glorious year was 2013, winning their maiden 1st XV silverware, the President’s Trophy Knock-Outs, under the mercurial Rahul de Silva.
They ended up as runner-up in 2002, 2004, and 2019 and the most recent successful season was under Mursheed Doray (League fourth). In 2022, under Tharusha Jayaweera, they finished the league at fourth and were knockout semi-finalists.
Last year Wesley retained the Blaze Trophy by defeating traditional rivals Kingswood for the third time in-a-row for the first time in history.
2025 League fixtures (First round):
June 6: vs Science College at Havelock Park, June 13: vs D. S. Senanayake at Longden Place, June 21: vs St. Anthony’s at Nittawela, June 28: vs St. Peter’s at Havelock Park, July 5: vs Ananda at Havelock Park. (Second round): vs Kingswood – Blaze Trophy (TBD), vs S. Thomas’ – Sir Oliver Goonetilleke Shield (TBD).
