Sri Lanka Rugby XV’s and Sevens player Roshan Weeraratne has been appointed the captain of Kandy Sports Club for the upcoming 2016/2017 Dialog Club Rugby season. This was announced at the Club Annual General Meeting that was held at the club house a short while ago.
The 27-year-old former Kingswood College captain has been the team’s regular scrum-half since the year 2009. Having been a part of five league winning teams and a triple champion outfit, he now has the task of leading the champion outfit in a bid to retain the Triple Crown that they won last season.
Captaincy is nothing new to the aggressive scrum-half who had to fill in the shoes of veteran Fazil Marija in the middle of the last club rugby season when Marija sustained a slipped disk injury. Roshan Weeraratne was entrusted with the duties of leading the team for the next few games in the competition and later the Clifford cup championships. Known for his aggressive running and nimble feet, Roshan will have a new task ahead of him when he takes the reigns of the Kandy club next season.
Having won a triple championship in his first year as coach, Sean Wijesinghe will continue in the position and will look forward to performing better in the coming season.
Inaugurated in 1874, Kandy Sports are the current Dialog Rugby League, Inter Club Sevens and Clifford cup champions who currently hold the record for 18 league titles; the most by any club. The team has also emerged Clifford cup champions on 20 occasions over the past few years.
Meanwhile, old Trinitian Nihal Ratwatte has been appointed as the President of the Kandy Sports Club while veteran player Lasantha Wijesuriya will serve as the Senior-Vice President.
The committee for 2016/17 :
Patron – Dr. Sarath Kapuwatte
Trustees – Malik Samarawickrema, Hemaka Amarasuriya and Dr. Sarath Kapuwatte
President – Nihal Ratwatte
Senior Vice Presidents – Lasantha Wijasuriya
Vice President – Leslie De Soysa and Janaka Pathirane
Secretary – Channa Jayatilake
Treasurer – Anzal Laphir
Social Secretary – Mark Stephen
Pavilion Secretary – J B Atanayake
Ground Secretary – Saman Kothalawella
Bar Secretary – Jehan Sirimane
Committee members – Anton Nanayakkara, Lasantha Fonseka, Sarath Perera, Sanjeeva Tenekoon, Hafiz Marrikar, Dr. Anura Welikala, Jerome Wijeratne and Milroy Mendis
Rugby Captain – Roshan Weerarathne
Head Coach – Sean Wijesinghe
