Rugby is a game where success depends on each and every player in the team from the starting front row to the full back. In a typical rugby format, it is a common practice that tries are being scored by the three quarters while the forward eight are the people in charge of doing the dirty work in the rucks and scrums.
The 2015 schools season was an outlaw to that common practice, as the season was mostly about the forwards. League title holders, unbeaten Royal College bore testament to this notion as the entire rugby fraternity had their focus on to the much spoken ‘forward maul’ of Royal College.
The much debated Royal rolling maul being the match winning artillery for them had the guidance and the leadership of one stalwart who executed the maul to precision. Scoring 16 tries and 80 points in the entire league Supun went on to achieve the impossible for a forward.
ThePapare.com spoke with man himself; Supun as talks about his life in sport and what it took to be a champion outfit.
Starting his rugby career a year after he entered the gates of Royal College in grade two playing under 9, Supun was a regular in all the junior teams and later ending up wearing the Blue Gold jersey.
It was my brother who motivated me to join rugby. My brother played for Royal in the junior levels and when I saw him playing in the under 12 & under 14 teams, it was a motivation for me to take up the sport and move ahead.
I first played as a center in the junior levels. I was a three quarter in the junior teams of under 14. Back then and it is only after under 16 that I switched to be a hooker or a forward. It wasn’t that much of a trouble for me because I was anyway used to playing a forward moving game.
I wore the 1st XV jersey after playing a year of Under 18 when I was 19 years. That year I didn’t play a key role in the team but I performed to the expected level when I was sent in from the bench. It was a tough challenge for me to play at crucial times from the bench but it was an experience that I still value.
The past three years were the best years of my life. There is nothing greater for a Royalist than donning the prestigious jersey and walking to the ground in front of thousands. I was fortunate to be a part of it for three years. I first started last year as hooker and this year around I moved to the back row and played the role of the #8.
I managed to play the dual role as Hooker and #8. It wasn’t a tough challenge for me to play at #8 and also take the line out throws for the teams. I have earlier played roles like this even when I was playing in the under 18 team. I played hook but I was the one who took the kicks and the penalties for the team so I found it easy to adjust in this situation and go ahead.
Supun further went on to elaborate as to how it feels to be a part of a Bradby winning outfit having lost the encounter at two consecutive occasions and later winning it in his final year.
Losing a Bradby is a nightmare for any player. It is something you will have to sleep with for a long time. We were unlucky enough for two years to have lost but this year our nightmares faded off after we brought the shield back to Royal College after four years. It was our greatest achievement in the year.
Our coach was a father to us. Sanath Martis was our mentor and literally a father to us. It took lot of dedication from him to mould us to be a champion outfit. All credit should go to him for our success.
My parents were my strength. My father and my mother were always behind me in my rugby life supporting me at all times, giving me advice when needed. They came to all of my matches and motivated me to go further.
Supun particularly had his say to add when we asked him about the success of the much spoken Royal rolling maul from which he scored his share of 16 tries.
It was a team effort and I cannot take credit to myself. All eight of us worked together as a team to achieve glory. It was a tough task for us to work forward as it required us to practice for a period of over 10 months. It is the secret to our success.
Our victory was months’ of hard work. If anyone says it was a piece of cake for us to win a league title, I say it was not. We had to work for more than ten months for this. It took a lot of commitment to achieve. For the last few months none of our team members ate from the fast food outlets nor did we drink any fizzy drinks. That kept our fitness levels straight. We worked as a team and our team chemistry was at an optimum level.
I idolize Dushanth Leuke as my role model. He is one person I admire in the rugby fraternity in the country. I will someday want to equalize the personality of him. My intention is to play for the national side one day and climb the ladder in the sport.
ThePapare.com wishes Supun the very best
