Dedicated to all past rugby players who represented their respective colleges before the new Millennium
Rugby was introduced in Sri Lanka by the British in 1879 and CH & FC was the first club to take the sport. The inaugural rugby match was played in the same year between CH vs a World Team. One year later the first ever local club match was played in Darawella when Dickoya MCC took on Dimbulla ACC with Dickoya winning the game 9 points to 3.
Rugby was introduced to Kingswood College Kandy by their first principal Mr.L.E.Blaze in 1891. Kingswood College played the first schools rugby match in the country against their home town rivals Trinity College in the year 1906 where the match ended in a 6 all draw. Thereafter rugby was introduced to Royal College in 1916, St. Peter’s College in 1932 and Zahira College in the year 1935.
According to IRB figures, Sri Lanka have over 103,000 registered rugby union players which is the second largest rugby-playing nation in Asia, behind Japan.
The game has changed significantly over the last few decades with new rules, points, duration, formats, training schedule, food / diet plans, clothing and more importantly the competitiveness among the school boy players. I am sure we also know that Rugby is the second most popular game in the country next to Cricket.
The rugby that I now see doesn’t have much in common with the rugby I grew up with in the 80s and 90s. When you simply compare the changes which has happened over the last ten to fifteen years, it’s unbelievable to think this was the same game which was played in 70s, 80s or the 90s.
Remember when …..
1. There were no shoulder pads or Climacool body kits to wear under your long sleeved jersey
2. There were no scrum caps to wear other than installation tapes to keep your ears safe
3. We didn’t have body fit jerseys made out of the lightest Climalite material, just a long-sleeved jersey made out of woven or double jersey fabric.
4. There were only brands like Mitre, Lotto and Adidas boots which were heavy with 6 steel / ceramic knobs and we used to polish them before matches -we used to walk all over the grounds after practices in the dark to find the missing knobs in our boots
5. Sometimes the players used to get only a kettle of hot milk from the college canteen / kitchen after practices
6. We meet at college early as 6 am and travel to Kandy or Colombo to play the match in the afternoon and also return the same night in a bus which was non AC or AC if you are lucky.
7. There were no gyms. But we used to do free weights like dumbbells, cross bars as and when we feel like before practices without proper schedules inside the pavilion.
8. We did steps / hill climbing, road runs and beach run during the season to keep our fitness as we used to call.
9. We used run with a tyre tied in our waist with a rope to do speed and power training.
10. The second rowers jumpers were not allowed to lift in lineouts – hence the hooker used to do a hard throw for number 2 and a lobbed throw for number 4 jumpers
11. We used to go in the bus home after matches wearing the shorts, college stockings and carrying the blazer
12. We used to get a small treat from some old boys only if we win matches
13. We never had cameras to take pictures of us playing matches , but wait for the newspapers next day to see who’s picture is captured at the match
14. We never had Facebook to upload images after every match and tag ourselves to become popular over night with likes, live streaming or videos to watch after.
15. We never had physical trainers to do conditioning and strengthening for us
16. The 2nd XV / U18 players used to tackle hard at practice to get in to the 1st XV side for the Friday’s game.
17. The coach used to name the players in the 1st XV team the day before the match
18. We used to drink tap water in a big bucket at practices and at matches since there no drinking water / mineral water bottles or rehydration drinks
19. We used to eat glucose in half time with a piece of Orange. That too cut in to 8-12 pieces
20. We used to get chased off by the coach for fancy hair cuts
21. We never had any diet plans during the season and we used to eat anything and everything what we like even before games. (Remember those Thosai Feeds?)
22. We used to charge down to the knees of the opposite player to give block tackles
23. We wore torn boots with tapes and still play matches with it or even visit the local cobbler 2 hours before the match
24. There were no teeth guards/ Gum shields, no track bottoms & tops to warm up. But you wear your playing long-sleeved jersey to warm up & also to play the match
25. Even if you are suffering from injuries, there was no elasto plasters or strain injury support tapes. But you will still play the match with a crape bandage wrapped around the area
26. The smell of Wintogeno and Salonpast spray will dispersed thought out the dressing room
27. There was no ambulances at game and if you injured you will end up in a tuk tuk or a parent’s vehicle to the General Hospital Accident ward.
28. There was only one referee and the touch judges were either two old boys or reserves from both schools with their school flag.
29. There was no kicking tees (not even invented) and the place kicks were taken by planting the ball on a sand carried to the field by a reserve or gathered at the same time with the help of you boot.
30. The brand of the playing ball was Mitre or Gilbert
31. Last but not least …The only supplement or the power booster was Vitamin B where a small bottle for the entire season, distributed with pride and plenty of advices at the grounds when some old boy lands with it. No Doctors to check us or prescribe (lucky it was a Vitamin) and we take one tea spoon a day like a prayer…thinking we will put on some weight…
Please do add on if you remember more
