Kandy SC have slight edge over CR

Shamseer JALEEL, reporting from Kandy

RUGBY: What a week-end of rugby - Bradby Shield encounter yesterday in Colombo and today all roads are to Nittawela Rugby Stadium where the defending Caltex League Champions Kandy Sports Club locking horns with CR & FC. The kick off will be at 4.30 pm today.

Always this clash between CR & FC and Kandy attracted the most number of spectators and it is a looked forward social event in the Clubs rugby calendar.

Kandy started its dominating process from 1992 and god father of the upcountry club is none other than the former Royal College nippy scrum half Malik Samarawickrema. The club which was almost caught in the jews of a crocodile was saved thanks to this humble former rugby player.

Kandy SC led by former Trinity rugby player Sean Wijesinghe who has led the side from the front. His loose play and the leadership was outstanding throughout the season. Kandy are leading the table to-date. Meanwhile former Royal player Shamil Mohamed will lead the “Red Shirts”.

In another surprising move by the Referees Society one of the Arabian Gulf Referee Cup was appointed for this important encounter.

The Referees Society who are having two leading IRB referees and some very good young referees still finds difficult to appoint one of them. This is a serious issue and none of the past players will take up refereeing if this is continued as they feel they have no future and no trust on them.

Kandy SC (Likely Seide) - Jeewa Galagmuwe, Kishore Johan, Anura Wapola, Senaka Bandara. Sumedha Jayasinghe, Sean Wijesinghe (Captain), Dilip Selvem, Imran Bishmain, Saliya Kumara, Fazil Marija, Pradeep Liyanage, Sajith Mallikarachchi, Sameera Silva, Sanjeewa Jayasinghe, Rudhika Hettiarachchi.

CR and FC (from) Shamil Mohamed (Captain), Anuja Perera, Duminda Pulukuttiarachchi, Anuradha Dharmatilake, Ashen Karthelis, Pavithra Fernando, Lasantha Mallikarachchi, Dhanushka Perera, Kasun de Silva, Dushantha Lewke, Dev Anand, Amjad Buksh, Ashan de Costa, Lasintha de Costa, Mohammed Jabbar, Niroshan Karunanayake, Kosala Tissera, Niroshan de Silva and Mohammed Sheriff.