The boys in double blue, having a rich history in schools’ rugby, are hoping to make a huge impact on the Singer Schools Rugby Season. Their cause will be helped by the fact that their young guns are also pretty experienced, having played 1st XV rugby for the past couple of years.
Lifting the President’s Trophy under the captaincy of Rahul de Silva in 2013 is the highlight of the college rugby portfolio. Mithila Perera, the lock forward, went on to represent the country last season and also scored a try on his maiden tour which is also something Wesley-ites speak of with pride. This season, under the supervision of Jivan Goonethilake, the boys are training hard to try and finish at the top of the league.
The mighty double blues will be captained by Zayan Sabar a very talented prop forward. Being in the 1st XV squad for the past 3 years Zayan can also play as Hooker or No.08 which is an added advantage to the coach Jivan , giving him a few options in the pack. Captain of the previous season Oma Kuthubdeen will also be in the starting lineup, playing as Full Back and captain Zayan will look to him for some support in leading the team to glory. Zayan’s brother Dayan will be the starting no.08 for the team and has performed wonderfully well in the recent past with his brilliant tackling being a highlight of his game.
The three quarters will be trained by one of Wesley’s very own old boys, who was a part of this wonderful sport in 2007, Amal Pathirana. Murshid Zubair will be taking charge of the backs while Denister Goonethilake with help the Fly half and Awantha Lee will mentor the centers. Wesley College has a reputation of producing impressive three-quarters and they will look to live up to that reputation this season too.
Even though these young lads have very few senior players, they have the added advantage of having played together since the junior levels. This will definitely be a strength to the young Wesley-ites in their journey this season. Another advantage for the Double-blues is the fact that although many of their players are youngsters, they have the experience of playing 1st XV rugby last year. No doubt there will be some pressure when they step on to the field but with some experience playing 1st XV rugby under their belts, they will definitely be a force to be reckoned with.
Sharing his thoughts with ThePapare.com coach Jeevan spoke of how hard the boys have been training on the field and in the gym from dawn to dusk and that they are determined to not let their hard work go to waste. Skipper Zayan also mentioned that they are ready to take over the upcoming season and will definitely look to make a change in the rugby arena. With the players coach Jeevan and Captain Zayan have at their disposal, playing to potential will be key. If they are able to do so, the double blues will be hard to stop.
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