Royal hockey celebrates another golden year

Royal College has undoubtedly been the headlining school in hockey looking back at the year of 2015 as they won almost every title that stood before them and thus completed another grand year of success when the sport is celebrating the diamond jubilee at the school.

Royal outshone the entire island in 2015 by not only winning the titles in a grand manner, but also putting up a magnificent performance with superior techniques culminating in brilliant teamwork and co-ordination to dish out fast open hockey.

The year 2015 was a great one for Royal as they rewrote the history books with every passing game, shattering previous records and goal tallies displaying the dominance of the star studded Royal line up.

Royal College took to hockey in 1955 with the help of Lennie de Silva, a past Kingswoodian who led the challenge of starting hockey at the school as the master in charge.

They began by winning the under 19 Western Province hockey tournament as Royal outclassed St. Benedict's, Prince of Wales, Ananda and St. Joseph's before edging out Wesley in the semi-finals to play the final against the defending champions D.S. Senanayake College.

DS Senanayake fought well in the final to have 1-1 at the half time, but Royal won the game 4-2 ending up as unbeaten champions after a half time pep talk by their trainer and former national coach Rohan Dissanayake.

The team then smashed Wesley College in the coveted Dudley K.G. De Silva Memorial Shield encounter with a score of 9-1 and then outclassed Trinity College by a more stunning victory to retain the J.C.A. Corea Memorial Trophy with the same 9-1 scoreline.

The swift movements and great passing amongst the Royal players were a spectacle to watch as they ran riot through the Trinity defence displaying their superior technical ability. The biggest challenge came from the Reid Avenue school's arch rivals, S. Thomas' College Mount Lavinia..

The Thomians did well to end the Orville Abeynaike Memorial Trophy encounter though they lost 1-2.

Royal also outplayed Kingswood College 4-0 to retain the Lennie De Silva Memorial Trophy.

Royal also emerging Champions in the Western Province under 18 tournament for the third consecutive year.

The junior sides also matched their seniors with dazzling performances against Kingwood College and Trinity College securing both the Kathab Roshan Memorial Trophy and the Paul Jeyaraj Trophy.

The 2015 First XI side consisted with 14 coloursmen with skipper Malith Rasanga being awarded the prestigious Royal Crown for his achievements representing Sri Lanka in the junior Asia Cup.

Royal's hockey glory started after Dissanayake took over the coaching in 1991, producing three champions in the same year.

Royal Hockey is backed by the Royal College Hockey Club which nurtures the game at the school with guidance, support and providing much needed facilities.