Rugby Football picked up fast in schools

by Hafiz Marikkar

RUGBY FOOTBALL: With inter-school cricket about to take a rest for the year, now it's time for rugby and Sri Lanka has done the best in the Five Nation Tournament, to be on top and also schools have come out and most of the schools have played over three games.

This writer goes back to a game played on 3rd of August 1957, between CRFU XV (now known as SLRFU) and the Combined School XV at Longden Place. In that year the other fixtures were August 7th Colombo Clubs vs Affiliated Clubs at the Racecourse grounds, August 12th Colombo Clubs (Low-Country) vs Up-Country at Racecourse Grounds, August 17th Ceylon vs The Rest at Longden Place, August 24th Australia vs Low-Country at Longden Place, August 28th Australia vs Up-Country in Kandy, August 31st Australia vs All-Ceylon at Radella, September 4th Australia vs Ceylon Barbarians at Racecourse, September 7th Australia vs All-Ceylon at Racecourse Grounds, September 14th CRFU vs Combined Services at Darawella, September 21st England vs Scotland at Darawella, September 21st Royal College Old Boys vs Trinity College Old Boys at Longden Place.Readers should follow the good work done at that time to promote the game of rugby, today it is a game which is one of the most popular in the country.Coming to the CRFU XV - Combined Schools XV game, this match took off to a start at 5.00 pm at Longden Place with Percy Perera as the Referee and the two touch Judges were F. Kellar and Burbridge. The Longden Place venue was a paced house, with both teams having some of the top class ruggerites, the Combined Schools XV was led by Trinitian Ken de Joedt and the CRFU by F.C. Roeloffsz of Kelani Valley Club.

Combine Schools Team: (Forwards) H.S. de Silva (Royal), M.G. de Alwis (Trinity), J. Dias de Singhe (Trinity), G. Roles (Trinity), R. Ingleton (S. Thomas), R. Wickremaratne (Royal), D. Frank (Trinity), R. Seevaratnam (Royal).Three-quarters: E. Buell (Wesley), N. Maralande (Trinity), S.P. de Sylva (Trinity), Ken de Joedt (Trinity - Capt), M. Anghie (Royal), J. Fernando (St. Peters'), U. Odayar (Trinity).

Reserves: R. Rajasingham (Wesley), E.L. Pereira (Royal), S. Fernando (S. Thomas'), B. Ohlmus (St. Josephs').

CRFU - (Forwards): I. Gunawardene (Dim/Dicks), J. Lloyd (CH & FC), B. Parker (Dim/Dicks), A. Raymond (Havelock SC), R.P. Wilson (CH & FC), M. Chilton (CH & FC), A. Cader (CR & FC), G. Weinman (CR & FC), F.C. Roeloffsz (KV - Capt), H. Siebel (Havelock SC), U. Amarasinghe (Kandy SC), M. de Silva (Havelock SC), L. Almeida (CR & FC), W. Moneypenny (UVA), J. Arenhold (CH & FC).Reserves: M. Rodrigo (CR & FC), D. Rodrigo (CR & FC), F.D. Jack (Havelock SC), D. Arendstz (Havelock SC), S.B.L. Perera (CR & FC).It was a grand game, CRFU XV packed with some top players maintained their supremacy by scoring 24 points off three goals, and three tries to 8 a goal and a penalty, and at half time the winners led 11-00.Schools were beaten by weight and experience, anyway the schools side did well to have almost an equal share of the scrums and lineouts, except towards the very end.

J. Arenhold playing at fullback for the CRFU, was more on touch finding, and the schools fullback U. Odayar, too fielded well and kicked to touch admirably.The CRFU forwards Llyod, Parker, Chilton and Cader played hard and from the back division, it was Almeida, Seibel and Roeloffsz gave off their best. The school's team not to be outdone played the game of their lives. Their XV deserved a big bouquet for a game well played.