Bradby 2012 June 2 and 16

by Hafiz Marikar

Rugby: According to news, the 2012 Bradby Shield rugby encounter between Trinity and Royal, which is the much awaited school rugby game, is fixed for June, the 1st leg will be played on 2nd of June at Royal College Complex and the 2nd leg will be played over here in Kandy at the Bogambara Stadium on 16th June. Royal and Trinity were the first schools in Sri Lanka to take up the sport of rugby union., and the first historic match between these school as played on 31st July, 1920. this was made a yearly encounter, with Trinity winning the first 21 years, until the royalist recorded their first in 1941.

Then in 1945 the game was fading with the World War, and the principal of Royal College, E.L. Bradby put forward the deal of playing an annual two match series, to which the principal of Trinity College C.E. Simitharachchi readily agreed.

To ensure the success of the series, the principal Bradby offered a shield which was to be held for the period of one year by the winner of series. The series has been played annually and uninterrupted ever since.