The Yoshitha Rajapakshe led CH & FC side had a successful Dialog Rugby League this season, after years of struggling at the bottom of the league table. However, the Club made an important announcement earlier this week, stating that a new coaching contingent will take over the Gymkhana Club.
The head coach from their years of comeback (2017/18 & 2018/19) Ronnie Ibrahim, has been replaced with the experienced and veteran coach, Nihal ‘Viper’ Gunarathna.
No stranger to the oval ball game, Gunaratne was at one time a highlight in his hometown club, Kandy Sports after excelling in the schools’ rugby arena in St. Anthony’s College colours. It will be a new challenge for Gunaratne in his position as coach of a revamped CH & FC side who are definite title contenders in the coming season.
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The former Antonian had stints with St. Joseph’s as well as St. Anthony’s and is one of the few World Rugby Level 3 qualified coaches in the country. Prior to taking on his present stint with CH & FC, he was involved in coaching the Sri Lanka Army team for a period and had a fairly decent run, managing to lead the Soldiers to a win over Kandy SC in their own turf.
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Former Head Coach of the Navy Sports Club, Mothilal Jayathilake, has also opted to leave the club he served for over 6 years, and take up a new role at the Maitland Crescent Club as the Strength and Conditioning coach. The duo is more than capable of cooking up brilliant ploys and grooming CH to be an even more formidable side for the Dialog Rugby League 2019/20.
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The first challenge for this new coaching team would be the upcoming Club Sevens tournament which is set to begin at the end of this month.
