After asking fans, national and ex-national players, experts and literally everyone else, ThePapare.com finally managed to narrow down the ‘All-time Sri Lanka Rugby XV’ with the names of legendary players from different eras.
- The Gutsy Front row!
#1 – Shamil Mohomed 
School – Royal College (2002)
Club(s) – CR & FC
Strengths – Bulldozing oncoming defenders, out-running every other prop in the park.
Other – Represented Sri Lanka from 2005 – 2010 and Captained in 2008.
#2 – Viraj Prasanna 
School – Isipathana College (2000)
Club(s) – CR & FC
Strengths – Can get a straight line-out throw in with his eyes closed, a mobile forward, very strong.
Other – Represented Sri Lanka from 2003 – 2007
#3 – Henry Terence 
School – Wesley College (2005)
Club(s) – CR, Havies, Navy, Police and Army SC.
Strengths – Physicality (yeah, imagine a 6 ft 2 inch prop running towards you), utility forward (basically, he can play anywhere in the pack), raw power.
Other – Captained Havelock SC to a league title in 2012 after 31 years, represented Sri Lanka from 2008 – 2015
- The Skyscrapers (2nd Rows)
#4 – Shenal Dias 
School – St. Peter’s College (2010)
Club(s) – Havelock SC
Strengths – Literally a giant, a wall in defence and a rhino in attack. Skill level was unmatched and had speed like a wing
Other – Represented Sri Lanka XV’s and Seven’s from 2011 – 2015, was a double national (Rugby and Basketball).
#5 – Priyantha Ekanayake 
School – St. Anthony’s College (1985)
Club(s) – Kandy SC, CH & FC, CR & FC
Strengths – Could tackle even Jonah Lomu upfront, safest hands in the line-out jumps, game awareness and rugby sense was unmatched.
Other – Represented Sri Lanka from 1985 – 1997, Captained Sri Lanka for 10 consecutive years (4 ASIADs), Double-national (Rugby and Basketball), led the Asia Barbarians Rugby team in 1997, played Provincial Rugby in New Zealand and Wales. (the list goes on, but let’s stop it here)
- The work horses! (Loose forwards)
#6 – Dilanka Wijesekara
School – St. Peter’s College (2002)
Club(s) – CH & FC
Strengths – Never misses a tackle, most likely the first to be in a ruck, great leader.
Other – Represented Sri Lanka from 2004 – 2009
#7 – Sean Wijesinghe
School – Trinity College (2000)
Club(s) – Kandy SC
Strengths – The most reliable ball-carrier, tackles and steals possession like smoke to a fire, leadership skills were top notch.
Other – Represented Sri Lanka from 2003 – 2013, Captained the National team in 2011
#8 – Harris Omar
School – Trinity College (1995)
Club(s) – Kandy SC
Strength’s – Will make you look small, has a signature fend with his powerful shoulder thrusts, fierce as a lion in defence, fast as a gazelle in attack.
Other – Represented Sri Lanka on several occasions from 1996 – 2002, Captained Kandy SC to the Sevens Championship in the inaugural inter-club Sevens tournament.
- The Mighty Kings (Scrum-half & Fly-half)
#9 – Roshan Weerarathne 
School – Kingswood College (2009)
Club(s) – Kandy SC
Strength’s – Can bamboozle the defence with his distribution, switches gears of his team’s play like a brand-new manual, quick to spot space and pounce on opportunities.
Other – Represented Sri Lanka from 2010 – 2018, Captained Sri Lanka in 2017, led Kandy to a league title.
#10 – Fazil Marija 
School – Kingswood College (2004)
Club(s) – Kandy SC
Strengths – Arguably one the best players form Asia, need we say more?
Other – Represented Sri Lanka in both XV’s and Seven’s from 2000 – 2017, Captained both Sri Lanka Sevens and XV’s teams, won the ‘Best Rugby Player’ award on numerous occasions in tournaments in Sri Lanka and Asia, led Kandy to two league titles.
- The Stallions (Centres)
#12 – Gayan Weerarathne 
School – Kingwood College (2007)
Club(s) – Kandy SC & CH & FC
Strengths – Sri Lankan SBW, can most probably outrun, outplay, tackle, sidestep, and intimidate any player.
Other – Represented Sri Lanka XV’s and Seven’s from 2008 – 2018, led Kandy to a League title.
#13 – Indrajith Bandaranayake 
School – Dharmaraja College (1990)
Club(s) – Kandy SC
Strengths – Can torch the touchlines, most likely to be the one running in support, creates opportunities with his eyes closed, no one gets past him.
Other – Represented Sri Lanka XV’s and Seven’s from 1992 – 2002, was the youngest Captain to lead Kandy SC to a double crown (aged 23)
- The Finishers (Last line)
#11 – Dhanushka Ranjan
School – St. Peter’s College (2012)
Club(s) – Havelock SC & Kandy SC
Strengths – Can beat you with pace, has an insatiable hunger to score, great awareness, just take a look at the try he scored against Fiji at the Commonwealth games!
Other – Represented Sri Lanka XV’s and Seven’s from 2013 – 2018
#15 – Rizah Mubarak 
School – Isipathana College (2007)
Club(s) – CR, Havies, Police, Navy SC
Strength’s – Can nutmeg you , has default scanner material eyes, can score points from literally anywhere on the field, most likely to win you games with his boot, and also is never afraid of making big tackles.
Other – Represented Sri Lanka XV’s and Seven’s from 2009 – 2017, was adjudged as the MVP of the 2013 Asia Five Nations tournament.
#14 – Sanjeewa Jayasinghe 
School – Science College (1998)
Club(s) – Havelock SC & Kandy SC
Strength’s – Was the Carlin Isles of Asia back in his day, usually the fastest man on the park, can out-run any opposition, is just raw speed and talent.
Other – Represented Sri Lanka XV’s and Seven’s from 1998 – 2011, scored against the All Blacks Sevens team, was the youngest to lead Havelock SC aged 22.
Notable Mentions – Hisham Abdeen (CH & FC), Chandrishan Perera (CH & FC), Shamly Nawaz (CR & FC), Nalaka Weerakkody (Kandy SC), Nilfer Ibrahim (Kandy SC), Amjad Buksh (CR & Kandy SC)
So that’s how ThePapare.com picked it’s All Time Sri Lanka XV’s team – and boy-oh-boy wouldn’t it have been a treat to watch this team in action! This team could’ve easily had a shot at being #1 in Asia, but like always time had its own plans.
Do comment and share your thoughts with us and tell us why you picked your team!
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