Royal College, Colombo, is gearing up to kick off the Inter-Schools Rugby Tournament on 6th June 2025 with an opening match against Thurstan College. The highly anticipated under-19 rugby tournament promises to deliver a thrilling spectacle for school rugby fans as teams prepare to showcase their skills.
Royal College will host five home games during the tournament, including the second leg of the 79th Bradby Shield Encounter against Trinity College, Kandy. The schedule also features the traditional trophy game against Isipathana College, Colombo, adding to the excitement of this year’s rugby season.
Royal Rugby Fixtures | 2025
= 6th June – Thurstan College (Home)
= 15th June – Sri Sumangala Vidyalaya (Away)
= 21st June – St. Joseph’s College (Home)
= 28th June – Vidyartha College (Home)
= 5th July – Trinity College (Away)
= TBD – St. Peter’s College (Away) – B.C. Angie Memorial Trophy
= TBD – S. Thomas’ College (Away) – Michael Gunarathne Trophy
= TBD – Isipathana College (Home) – Major Milroy Fernando Trophy
= 23rd August – Trinity College (Away) – Bradby Shield 1st Leg
= 6th September – Trinity College (Home) – Bradby Shield 2nd Leg
Amika Samarasinghe has been appointed Captain of Royal College, with Idris Farook serving as Vice Captain. Dushanth Lewke has been reappointed as head coach. Lewke, who had a successful tenure as Under-18 Head Coach, joined Royal College’s first XV team as Assistant Coach in 2013. In 2018, he was promoted to head coach, leading the team to league championships in both 2018 and 2019. After finishing as league runners-up last year, Royal College is now aiming for its 9th league title in the post-2000 era.
Over the past six years, Royal College has consistently ranked among the top three teams in the Division 1 Rugby League. Organised by the Rugby Match Organising Committee of Royal College, the Bradby Shield Encounter is anticipated to attract an audience of over 15,000 spectators this year.
The co-event sponsors for Royal Rugby 2025 are National Development Bank (NDB Bank) and Uber Eats. Brandix Apparel will serve as the main team sponsor, with American Water as the hydration partner and team sponsor. Brixton Lighting joins as both co-team sponsor and junior rugby sponsor, while C.W. Mackie will also support the team as a co-team sponsor.
Additional sponsors include Courtyard by Marriott (hospitality partner), Vision Care (optical partner), Ceylon Agro Industries – Prima (food partner), Affinity Consulting (strategic IT partner), Elephant House (beverage and ice cream partner), Technomedics International Pvt Ltd (medical solutions partner), Hemas Consumer (grooming partner), EFM (radio partner), Omnicom Media Group (PR partner), Classic Travel (travel partner), Bolt Gear (clothing partner), Lanka Hospitals (healthcare partner), The Papare (broadcasting partner), Ralham Sports (sports equipment partner), Ceylon Cleaners (laundry partner), and Planet Protectors (sustainability partner).
These sponsors play a vital role in supporting the growth and development of school rugby in Sri Lanka.
The annual rugby season is celebrated for its rich history of prestige and camaraderie among Sri Lanka’s leading schools, where both victory and defeat are embraced with grace and true sportsmanship.
