Trevor Nugawela - an expert in maintaining playing fields

by Hafiz Marikar

There are a few silent workers involved in the organisation and promoting of sports grounds and its facilities in Sri Lanka. It came to my mind of a vibrant personality of Trevor Nugawela originally from the district of Kandy, initially educated at Dharmaraja College and then went over to S. Thomas' College, Mount Lavinia, where he played rugby. After leaving school, took up the profession in the plantation sector in the up country, during the former British Plantation company administration and got actively involved in promoting cricket and rugby at Dimbula Athletic & Cricket Club in the Nuwara Eliya district.

He was a 'live-wire' to this club and rugby in particular and played at its highest levels in the SLRFU 'A' division tournaments. At 5' 3" he was one of the best scrum half's in the Up-Country, who later captained both cricket and rugby for Dimbula A & CC. He was known as the playmaker for his club and one of the best thinking scrum half at that time.

He later became the President of the club, during which time he closely associated with the Gymkhan Club of Mumbai and the All-India tournament hosted by Mumbai, Tamil Nadu and Calcutta annually. His team from Darawella won the All-India Cup on two occasions in 1992 & 1999 in India with some of the Kandy's top ruggerites.

This tournament was in progress until 2000 after which he had to move over to Colombo after 27 years on tea plantations, as a planter before entering the World of grounds manship. He also served as the President of the Central Province Rugby Football Union during which period he spread rugby to grass root level.

He maintained very good rapport with the parent body and served as a Council member for quite some time, and also was one time Manager of the Sri Lanka team.

He was successful in conducting the Clifford Cup Tournament in Kandy, with the support of the SLRFU.

He was the pioneer of introducing the Inter Plantations Rugby 7's in 1994, the Celltel Rugby 7's and Inter-Club Rugby 7's for 4 years in the Nuwara-Eliya district. Besides, he has also been a very successful rugby coach of the Sri Lanka Air Force and winner against Havelock's in 2004 / 5 after 18 years. He also helped the Defence Services as well in coaching.

After the tsunami of 2004, Trevor became Sri Lanka's International Cricket Project Director when Surrey County Cricket Club sponsored the Surrey Cricket Village and the Seenigama Oval grounds in Sri Lanka.

As part of his role in managing the ground and his regular contact with the England and Wales Cricket Board, put Trevor in touch with the top ground experts to Sri Lanka. Since the civil war ended in 2009, Sri Lanka embarked on a rapid programme of development in its main cities and urban areas.

Trevor moved into grounds consultancy in 2000, and he started to formulate his strategy when he joined the IOG. He lost no time in gaining a Level two accreditation in sports turf management and took the IOG Cricket Intermediate and Advanced Course under Harry Bried and Andy Clark and obtained the IOG Industry Awards honor UK grounds expertise.

He said "this learning experience has already paid big dividends in my work" - particularly at what are now two major rugby grounds to put so much of it to good use as curator consultant to the Sri Lanka Air force grounds at Ratmalana, the Racecourse grounds, Reid Avenue and to provide his expertise to the Ananda College grounds at Rajagiriya as well.

Further Nugawela hopes to follow the Level Three Course and later establish an Institute of Groundsmanship (IOG) UK (Asian Branch) in Sri Lanka to train all Asian Curators to international level.

So, all those who are interested can get the curators course done here once the approval and recognition as professionals. They will be trained and educated to fit in as International Curators.

Today rugby playing schools and clubs spend large amount of money on the up keep of grounds. If one sees, Havelock Park it has been given a good clean up touch, thanks to former Sri Lanka skipper Mike de Alwis.

Trevor, with his experience should come forward and give a helping hand to all rugby playing venues at a nominal rate.