Rugby resurgence at Havelock Sports Club

By Hafiz Marikar

RUGBY: Havelock Sports Club, will conduct their annual general meeting on December 11th at 10.30 a.m at the club premises. President Tyrone Coonghe - a long standing member of the club is to continue as President on a popularity vote as he had done a lot for the club.

The Havelocks has been in the news with plenty of knowledgeable people. Former Trinity and Kandy Sports Club ruggerite Dilip Selvam is expected to captain the side in the forthcoming season. He was one of the coaches of Trinity College rugger team last season.

After a somewhat lean season last year, where they won just one game against CH and FC by 20 points to 5 in ten matches, the club seems to be somewhat revitalised for the 2011 tournament.

Earlier this year the hierarchy of the club headed by President Tyronne Coonghe decided to make the club a force to be reckoned with in rugby circles. A committee headed by former Havelocks fly-half and former Sri Lanka coach Ana Saranapala was formed comprising three former captains and national players Angelo Wickramaratne (1981) Kolitha Gunathilake (1987) and Chaminda Rupasinghe (1989) to pick out talented youngesters and also to find a sponsor.

There was no hesitation and the special committee picked on former Thomian, CR & FC and Sri Lanka fly-half Asanga Seneviratne to help them in their endeavour of uplifting the game at the park club.

A sponsor was found - Nation Lanka Finance PLC to sponsor the club and they also agreed to meet the expenses involved in recruiting three top foreign players - Samoa's Angsta Sae, Tongan duo of Atella Uaisele and Paula Talaka. That was not all - outstanding schoolboys were also recruited. There's more - past players from Kandy Sports Club Amjad Buksh, Chamara Vithanage were on listed.

So, coach Thusitha Peiris took great pain to got the team together and mould a champion outfit with the support from club officials and members of the club.

A very enthusiastic committee for 2012 was formed with Gamini Fernando as patron, Sararath de Costa, Y.C. Chang, Lucien Rajakarunanayake, Raj Rodriguez, Killi Pullendran, Anton Benedict, Michael Jayasekara, Royce Samaratunga and A.V.P. Silva with Trustees - Bernard Joseph and Michael Jayasekara to look after the progress the club will make in their endeavours on the rugby scene.

Then there is the President of the club - Tyrone Coonghe to carry the club forward. Being a premier rugby playing club, it is the major sport that the club indulges in. Earlier the club was involved in Football, Hockey and in our sports.

Proud history

Havelock Sports Club has been playing rugger for well over 90 years and has a proud history behind them. Not only have they produced champion teams in the early days, they have also served the cause of Sri Lanka rugby. This year, in the league tournament, Havelocks were placed third behind Kandy Sports Club and Navy.

Havelocks Sports Club was in forefront of the club scene in early 1950's, 1970's and 1980's. The Park Club won the Clifford Cup six times, the League title on four occasions and also clinch the Triple Crown in 1978. In 1974, the Havies won the Clifford Cup under Desmond Harridge beating CR & FC 16 points to 04, in 1976 led by Thajone Savanghan bagged the rugby double, winning the League and Clifford Cup beating Navy by 15 points to 3 in the final.

1977: Jeff de Jong's team retained the Clifford Cup (League tourney)

1978: Led by Anton Benedict beat Kandy SC 10-5 in Clifford Cup final.

1980: Frank Hubert's team took the SLRFU Presidents Trophy with a 12-7 win over CR & FC

1981: Led by Angelo Wickremarthne won the triple - Sevens, Clifford Cup and the President's Trophy. Won Sevens Championships twice - "A" and "B" winning Cup finals.

1984: Won SLRFU President's Trophy - since then the Park Club had not won a major trophy, although clinching the 7's in 1986, 1987, 1995, 2000 and 2003.

The stars

When speaking about the Havelocks one cannot forget about the contributions made by some of the stalwarts - Ian Labroy first Clifford cup winning captain, R. Sourjah, F. Aldons, E. Mathayasz, L. Ephraums, S.B. Pilapitiya, D.K. Goonawardene, J. Rodriguesz, Gamini Fernando, Y.C. Chang, Quentin Israel, Denzil Kobbekkduwa, Dr. Hubert Aloysius, Nimal Maralande, M.L. Saurjah, Lal Silva, Gogi Tilakarthne, Tyrone Hodenbottle.

S. Sundaralingam, Cavern Gauder, F. Caldera, Nilam Saleem, Dickie Jayatilake, Frankie David, Lucky Witharne, Travis de Jong, Gavin Sevens, Rodney de Silva, I. Hamid, Noel Brohier, Jupana Jayawardene, Glen Vlengenberg, Maurice de Silva, Maurice Fairweather, Randy Piertersz (the first Isipathanian to play for the country). Hiran Fernando, Frank Hubert, Hanzil Samad, Shafi Jainudeen, Thajone Savanghan, Hisham Abdeen, Ratnam brothers Jeff and Dan, Roshan Deen, Hazari Hameed, Wimal Senanayke, Dilroy Fernando, Jeffrey Yu, Jeffrey Yu Jong, Anton Benedict, Lanil Tennekoon, Rajive Sorneratnam, Alex Chanaka, Michael Jayaasekara, P.L. Munaisnghe, Leonard de Zilva, Sanjeewa Jayasinghe, Ravi Ganapathy, Omar Sheriff, M.P.F Saly.

Desmond Harridge, Marco de Silva, T.V. Morseth, Y.S. Ping, D. Selvaraj. David Nicolle, Kolitha Gunatilleke, Tony Amith, Ana Saranapala, Chaminda Rupasinghe,. Roshan Deen , Jeffrey Sahid, Sandy Hameed are some of the players who come to my mind in the flash.