Dedication and determination helped Kandy to triple crown

by S. M. Jiffrey ABDEEN - Kandy Sports Corr.

RUGBY: Kandy Sports Club, the only rugby club from the outstations, did it again when they won the rugby's triple crown by winning the Caltex Clifford Cup knock-out rugby tournament by defeating their now arch rivals CR and FC in the finals played at Nittawela.

What is most remarkable in Kandy Club's performance is that they were fighting for their very survival not many years ago. In the year 1991 their performance was so dismal that there were serious doubts about their remaining in the Inter-Club 'A' Division that the SLRFU arranged a relegation match against Petersons Sports Club to decide who should remain in the top division.

Fortunately for Kandy Sports Club they got the better of Petersons Sports Club and rugby in Kandy lived to see the light of another day. Otherwise rugby would have died a natural death with only the top schools from Kandy playing the game and top players left the district to find employment and play for clubs in Colombo as it was the trend then. It was the superlative performance of Kandy Sports Club which gave a new dimension to rugby in the hills.

It is sad to note that Dimbulla who once strode the local rugby scene like the mythical colossus and gave the Colombo Clubs a run for their money and won the League title in 1970 after playing most of games in the beat of Colombo, are struggling to field a team of their own. Dickoya who figured in a Cup final in the sixties are unable to field a team in the top division.

The problem of these two clubs are that they are unable to find ruggerites from their district which has no rugby playing schools in the senior division. Earlier, it was first the expatriate planters who played the game and later the plantations recruited ruggerites as planters which kept the game alive. Now the situation is different though these two planter clubs would like to play the game at the highest level.

Kandy beat elite clubs

What is significant about Kandy Sports Club's performance is that a single club from the hill capital with limited resources is able to defeat the elite clubs from Colombo with a lot of material at their disposal. It is dedication and determination to win has made Kandy Sports Club 'tick'.

The transformation of their fortunes started in 1992 with arrival of seven ruggerites from CR and FC. Though this club was over 120 years at that time and this club won their first major trophy only in 1992 which was the Clifford Cup tournament. There was big celebrations in Kandy as it was also the first national title that a club from Kandy Sports Club figured earlier in three Cup finale in 1954, 1969 and 1978 but without success.

There was no looking for this Kandy side from here onwards as they went from strength to strength with ruggerites finding employment in banks, mercantile sector and garment factories located in and around Kandy. Kandy was thus able to not only retain the talents from schools but also were able to cure the top ruggerites from Colombo. Can you blame the ruggerites if another clubs offers you a better package as it is their livelihood! This can happen not only in the rugby field but also in any other field.

Another little known fact is that during the Caltex league tournament, Kandy Sports Club had to travel down to Colombo seven times to keep their engagements on an 'home and away' basis whereas the Colombo Clubs had to comeup to Kandy only once. This is not only time and money but also strain but nevertheless they rose up to their tasks gallantly to win the League title for a record number of times.

Triple champs for 11 years

For the record Kandy has won the League title 11 times and have been triple champions for 11 years winning them in 1995, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009, as the photographs hung at the Club house at Nittawela tells this story.

Kandy Sports Club has been winning the Clifford Cup for 15 years since 1992 - the year of their rugby revival. They could not win the oldest prise in rugby in 1993, 1998 and 2006 in which they did not participate in this tournament as mark of protest against the decision of the organisers to shift all the venues of this tournament to Colombo. This was a decision done in bad taste and not in the best interest of promoting rugby in the outstations. All what Kandy wanted was to play the matches involving Kandy Sports Club at Nittawela which is a fair request.

Kandy Sports Club's success in the local tournament saw them over the moon and in order to celebrate their 125th years of existence, they organised an International Rugby Sevens in 1999 with 16 countries participating. This was sponsored by Singer Sri Lanka (Pvt) Limited and SriLankan Airlines with the International Rugby Board (IRB) also coming in latter stages and making it a Satellite tournament for the Asian Region and World Sevens Qualifier. Rugby was at its pinnacle.

But this year there will be no International Rugby Sevens due to manifold reasons. Rugby fans in the hill capital are hopeful that with better fortunes, it will be revived next year.

But on the other side of the coin, how long can Kandy Sports Club continue their winning streak. They could do this as long as their benefactors stay with them with around Rs. 16 million required to go through the season inclusive of expenditure for the foreign coach. Can this money with projected figure be found next year with the adverse trading conditions experienced at present? One could only hope for Kandy to continue their winning streak and keep rugby alive in the hills.