Observer - Caltex Rugby Contests:

Three - cornered battle for top berth

by Ranjan ANANDAPPA

RUGBY: Observer/Caltex Most Popular Rugby Player/Team Competition 2011. The three top national players Kandy SC’s fly-half Fazil Marija and fullback Nuwan Hettiarachchi and CR&FC captain Dushan Lewke, a former recipient of the award, are continuing their run for the top berth in the third week’s count of the Sunday Observer/Caltex Most Popular Rugger Player and Most Popular Rugger Team competition.

The two former Sri Lanka captains Fazil Marija and Dushan Lewke both represented the up-country club Kandy SC in the domestic season which helped Kandy SC to dominate the local rugby scene for a good number of years. But now the two players are in different camps with Lewke captaining the Longden Place club and Marija playing for Kandy. Kandy’s dynamic winger Sanjeeva Jayasinghe has also joined the race placed seventh.

In the team competition, Kandy Sports Club and CR&FC are having a close tussle for the top spot with Kandy SC receiving a total of 6,870 votes and CR&FC 3,701 votes.