The former Sri Lanka national captain and league winning Kandy Sports Club veteran Fazil Marija has made a decision to hang his boots at the end of the 2017/18 Dialog Club Rugby Season.
One of the most prolific players that Sri Lanka has produced, the 32-year-old veteran will conclude his 14-year-old rugby career at Kandy Sports Club.
A contemporary legend of the sport, the former Kingswood College captain set a new benchmark for rugby in the country revolutionizing the perception of the sport.
Just last year, Marija retired from the national sevens captaincy and this year’s Asia Division I Rugby Championship was his final stint in the Sri Lanka Rugby national side in the fifteens jersey.
Starting his professional career in his hometown club soon after his school rugby stint at Kingswood College, Fazil Marija was handpicked to become the club’s flyhalf having excelled in that position for the school team. Later that year, the schoolboy Marija had the opportunity of making his national debut for the Sri Lanka national Rugby team.
Fazil Marija to retire from national colours
Former Sri Lankan sevens and fifteens captain, prolific fly-half Fazil Marija will conclude his 13-year long national fifteens …
Speaking to ThePapare earlier this year, Marija hinted on his retirement plans when the team toured Malaysia for the Asia Rugby Division I Championship.
“I think I still have it in me and will play one more club rugby season for the side in the coming season”
Since then the prolific fly-half has been a regular in the national and club team donning the number 10 jersey. In his long stint with the club, he has secured over 10 league titles and has led the team on two occasions.
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Under Marija’s captaincy, the team was able to make it a triple title season in 2015/16 winning the Dialog Rugby League, the Clifford cup and the sevens tournament. Earlier in 2010, he achieved the same feat winning all three trophies on offer.
This year’s 2017/18 Dialog Rugby League will be Fazil Marija’s final season in the Kandy colours and he will also play the Dialog Clifford cup.
With Kandy Sports Club looking to retain the league title for the fourth successive occasion, Gayan Weeraratne’s team will be hoping to give Fazil Marija a grand send off.
Follow Sri Lanka’s golden boy of rugby as his appears for the final phases of his career in the Dialog Club league on www.thepapare.com.
