Vidyartha has come a long way in improving Rugby Football at school

By Hafiz Marikar

Vidyartha College, Kandy is a school which earned a name in the field of rugby. Rugby was introduced to the school chiefly due to the initiative of Old Trinitians like S.G. Mediwake, K.A. Perera and T. Muttiah who were on the staff and the guidance and advice of Principal A. Athauda. It was Kandy Sports Club who helped them to find their feet at rugby by permitting the use of their grounds at Nittawella, and also channelling their knowledgeable players to coach Vidyartha boys.

Vidyartha were coached by host of Trinitians, first was Boby Jayaweera. Then there was Nihal Halangoda, Jayantha Jayawardene, Noel Paranagama, A.R.A. Mohamed, Maj. Asean Fernando. There were also some Trinitians like Lt. Col. Bertie Dias, Lt.Gen. Denzil Kobbekaduwa, Maurice Perera, Royalist Dr. V.C. de Silva. Later the old boys of Vidyartha - George Jayasena, H.G. Ariyartne, Sunil Munasinghe, Charles Wijawardene, D.N.Kumar Meriyagolla, Anil Jayasinghe gave their hand in coaching the Vidyartha team.

This school has not only produced top teams, several top-notch players and also some of the finest national players were produced by Vidyartha.

One of the famous and first to hit the top in the rugby was T.B. Wijesinghe, who after his school career polished his rugby at Kandy Lake Club and later he played for CR and FC and the country.

After Wijesinghe, there was George Jayasena who also joined Kandy Lake Club and polish his rugby, later played for UVA and Kandy Sports Club and became the second to play for the country. Then there were others like Sunil Serasinghe - a fine fullback, played for Ceylon Air Force, Kandy Lake Club, Kandy Sports Club, UVA,

Upcounty and Sri Lanka Presidents XV.

Then there was the famous guy called "King Charles" who started his rugby with Sri Lanka Air Force and later played for Sri Lanka Police, CR and FC and the Country and was the best place-kicker at that time.

There were a whole lot a players who took to the game and went on to play for the country.

There were the talented ruggerites who played top club rugby and went on to play for Sri Lanka Presidents XV and they were Z.M. Zarook who started with Kandy Lake Club, later played for Kandy Sprots Club, Up-Country, Fly-half R.M. Lafir-played for Kandy Sports Club first and later for Police Sports Club, H.G. Ariyaratne _ Kandy Sports Club and Kandy RFC, Lakshman Samaraswijeya-Kandy Sports Club, D.G. Dayarthne-Kandy Sports Club and Sri Lanka Police, G.Chandra _ Sri Lanka Army, Anil Jayaisnghe _ Kandy Sports Club and was also national poolist.

Vidyartha College, like other schools, get a lot of support form their Old Boys Rugby wing. In recent times there was Wasantha Dissanayake who has been giving his best with the fine support of the committee members.

Vidyartha's main game is the William Gopallawa shield game, which is played annually against Ananda College. The encounter consisted of two 'legs', one being played in Colombo and the other in Kandy. Now it is only one game, and for a few years, the game was not played.

The first encounter between the two schools was started in 1962 and the Shield Game came to be played from 1968. This year the side is coached by one of their old boys _ Saliya Kumara who started his rugby at this School and played for the Combined Schools and later crossed over to Trinity College.

He then began his club career with Havelock Sports Club and later came over to his home town where he learnt the game of rugby at Kandy Sports Club and led the side. He is now coaching Vidyartha.

Vidyartha's team will be: Props:- (from) Hashan Fernando, Deelepa Madushnaka, Samadi Tissa, Kalpa Rankothge, Dinesh Tharaka, Hooker: (from) Dinesh Abeyasinghe, Sajithna Niroshan, Second Row: (from) Hasintha Sandaruwan, Tharaka Rankothge, Mithuka Dinesh, Flankers: (from) Sandaruwan Atulgama (Capt), Mohamed Sadeer, Heranda Ratnayake, Sanjaya Kumara. No. 8:- Ravi Alexander, Scrum-half:(from) Niroshan Madusanka, S. Chanka.Fly-half (from): Chaturnage Perera, Deleep Tissa, Wingers (from): Harshan Eranga, T. Haritha, Sajith Darshana, Sashi Cooray. Full-Back:- Lahiru Ratnayake.

Vidyartha this season, are in the Division I Segment 2 B, along with schools like Mahanama College, D.S. Senanayake College, Zahira College, Nalanda College and St. John's College. Their first game is against Zahira College in the last week of March.