Zahira Mawanella take to rugby football

By Jatila KARAWITA

RUGBY: The sports ground at Zahira College, Mewanella, which was hitherto used for football, staged its maiden inter-school rugby match, when the hosts took on Buddhist College, Talduwa at the end of a successful one-day rugby coaching camp.

The camp was conducted by SLRFU (Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union) Executive Director and International Rugby Board (IRB) referee - trainer for Asia Dilroy Fernando on Dec. 18 (Thursday).

The visiting team (Buddhist College, Talduwa) beat their hosts (Zahira, Mawanella) 15-0 in a keenly fought game witnessed by an appreciative gathering of spectators from in and around Mawanella.

Fernando, who also conducted a similar coaching camp at another rural school (Galpaya M.V.) in the Ratnapura district a few days earlier, was of the view that what was most significant in Zahira College, hosting its first - ever rugby match was that they had been able to even find sponsors for the game, through their own initiative.

“For a rural school situated outside Colombo, to have found sponsors for their first every rugby match without being a burden to the SLRFU was indeed praiseworthy”, Fernando told Sunday Observer.

It was Brantel Lanka (Pvt) Limited who provided two goal posts for the rugby match, while a leading businessman of the area, M.R.M. Shifan had been instrumental in supplying quality rugby balls to be distributed among neighbouring schools.

The IRB Referee - Trainer for Asia, Dilroy Fernando, stated that rugby would take root at Zahira College, Mawanella before long looking at the vigour and spirit shown by players at the historic rugby match and the enthusiasm and keenness displayed by over 70 schoolboys and girls who had followed the coaching clinic.

Principal of Zahira College, Mawanella, M. J. M. Naeem Marikkar, speaking to Sunday Observer on the sidelines of the coaching camp, noted that the SLRFU’s policy of spreading rugby outside its two main bastion’s of Colombo and Kandy was highly commendable.

He said the long-term aim of his almamater was to emerge as Mawanella’s foremost rugby-playing school, while further developing the playground into a top venue where rugby could be played regularly.

Marikkar also thanked the SLRFU Executive Director for taking a special interest, despite a demanding schedule to conduct a rugby coaching camp at his school, and hoped that the game’s domestic controlling body would render all possible support in future to further develop rugby football at his school and in the neighbourhood.

Besides Zahira College, Mawanella and Buddhist College, Talduwa, two other schools Pinideniya National School and Embilipitiya M.V. were also involved in the rugby coaching clinic held on Dec 18.

Zahira, Mawanella, which is predominantly a Muslim school with over 3,500 students, has excelled in many football tournaments in the past but it was the first time that they had taken to rugby, according to senior MIC M. G. M. Nizam.

Secretary of the Sabaragamuwa Rugby Football Union and Rugby Development Manager K. S. P. Karunaratne and ‘A’ division referee A.C. Tennekoon were also involved in the coaching camp.