The Holy Grail of Trinity Rugby

The legendary Lt. Col. Berti Dias of trinity once remarked that Trinity produces an unbeaten team roughly every 10 years.  He should know he coached Trinity rugby's bespoke original, fabled to the lore, D.N Frank's boys of '56, the team that set the bar, bolts and all.  Since then we have pretty much stuck to strip and produced an unbeaten side approximately every 10 years.  Next were Ajith abeyrathna's all conquering side of 1967, followed by Ravi Balasuriya's heroes of 1977 and arguably the grandest of all Tyrell Rajapaksa's few of 1987.  But as the class of '87 descend from all corners for their 25th year reunion, Trinity's 10 year schedule would appear to have come marginally unstuck as 1987 sadly still remain Trinity's last unbeaten team.

D.N Frank's originals to a generation still remain the team. The played joyous, flowing, chivalrous and almost mythical brand of rugby.  This magnificent stable produced an incredible nine Ceylon caps and two of these imperishable luminaries Nimal Maralanda and Mike De Alwis went on to captain it.  Not only did this team comprising the likes of Weerasinghe, Jacob, Balthazaar, Raji and Sena De Silva, De Joodt, Ettipola, Boteju, Dias Desinghe, Odayar, Rathnayake and S.P. De Silva not let their defense be breached by any school but took on the might of Kandy SC, Uva, Dickoya, CR and Havelocks stocked with Europeans and summarily dispatched them as well.

Next to go unbeaten wastage boys of 1967, a team that put down a permanent mark for uncompromising power, discipline and dash with likes of Iswan Omar, Balsuriya, Udugama, Alex Lazarus, Sundaralingam, Gogi Tilakarathne, Siriwardana, Talawatte, Attif, Warbe, Dasanayake, Nayagam, Nandaraja and the man who redefined the art of running full back Shafi Jainudeeb.  Nobody ever conjured up a daredevil dart or a delicious swerve quite as 'Jainudeen'.  This side which had 5 Ceylon caps was captained by the most totemic fellow, the great Ajith Abeyrathne.

During the decade of the 70's, Trinity produced a raft of fine teams and amongst them were C.Y Ching's once-beaten boy of '74 who played an all embracing. over whelming brand of rugby that it inspired even the occasional followers of the general scene.  Perfection this decade was delivered by Ravi Balasuriya's chargers of 1977, a year of smiles and gallantry.  Led by on of Trinity rugby's grandest monarchs, I recall watching Ravi Bala's boys with found amazement.

The memories still stirs the spirit for this was a team of men boys clothing and included the likes of Richardson, Rahiman, Congreve, Ravi Rathnayeke, Ellepola, Kiridena, Y. Wong, Jan and Michel Tissera, Sourjah, Kemal Deen, Bibile, Gunasekara, A Saheedeen, Vethanayagam, Allegarathnam, Raghawan, Rodrigo and Omar.  Trinity that year became the first school in Sri Lanka rugby history to be invited to participate in what subsequently became known as the Pan Pacific Schools rugby championships.

Next, the team that turned art from into a full scale opera, Tyrell Rajapakse's boys of 87 coached by Alex Lazarus, played its rugby with a zip and zap revolutionary panache.  Trinity  87 shipped a staggering 300 points that season and 12 teams collectively managed 1 try and 7 penalties against them.  This team of wit and wonder had Rugby Lions Lohan Ratwatte, Dasarath Kiridena and a quartet that multiple generations would have struggled to muster, '86 catain Senani Gunaratne, Rajiv 'Gal' Bandaranayake, the shinning chevalier Shah Doole and the irresistible counter attacker of nerve, verve and bonny bravado lmthie Marikkar.  Joining them were the intrepid hoofers Nilantha Rathnayake, Upul Gunarathne, Prasad Dissanayeke,  N. Abeysinghe, Janinda Dunuville, further Lions Thakshila Hettiarachchi, and '90 rugby captain Rohan Ranaraja.  This was surely a team of utter grandeur and arguably the best produced by Trinity as observed by national coach Ajith Abeyratne in 1987.

However, for all the heroics of trinity's cherished collective paragons of '56, '67, '77 and '87, it is our flamboyant display of pedigree in between that makes Trinity the celebrated rugby institution, the venerable home of this sport and sacred of its flame.  The '57 side of Ken de joodt, Eric Roles' boys of '60, Shafi Jainudeen's team of '69 come to mind from the early years.  In the 70s and 80s Trinity's cup did runneth over.  That some of them didn't win the cherished shield is more a testament to those  who stood in the way in large navy and gold hoops in our confraternal dust-up the occasional intrepid Thomian raiding party and / or a certain Isipathana should not distract from what the boys of Sam Samarasekara's 1970 achieved, or Ping's '71 lot who also had the rare honour of producing 2 Sri Lanka rugby captains in Irvin Howie and Tikiri Marambe accomplished, nor Janaka Kiridena's gallant warriors of 78.  The 80s had Ravi Bandaranayaka's boys of '81 which included that imperishable show stopper Ravi Ponnambalam, the team of '82, and '83 captained by 2 of TCK history's most resplendent captains, the mighty, 'Lord' Byron and the venerable Ashan Ratwatte, the '84 side of Wijesinghe and Ranaraja's '89 garnished the legend.

In the 90s, Ayaz Deen's boys of 91, Himesh Goonatilleke's talented few of 92, the talismanic Haris Omar's and deputy Pradeep Bandaranayaka's boys of '95 who added a complete verse and chapter in gold lettering to Trinity rugby fabled ledger by being the 3rd due from a single team to captain the country not to be forgotten also N. Fernando's team of '96.  This was followed on by B.N.R Fernando's '05, Maddumapatabadi's '06, Milinda Gunawardana's '08, Murad Ramzeen's powerful lot of '11 and Kanil Senavirathne's Outstanding group of 2012.

Young warriors obsessively girding them selves pre season in preparation for the season ahead with narrowed eyes and even narrower focus repeat in their sleep 'win the Bradby' -school rugby's most primeval and  treasured trophy.  To borrow from John Hopkins this "cross between a medieval crusade and pre school outing' is Trinity preeminent priority.  Every facts, fad, fact, and fancy to Trinity rugby revolves compellingly around this annual jamboree.  To win the shield was, is and will always remain the singular most sacred measure that each Trinity rugby captain and his chargers are measured by.  Win that Bradby son and you can rest secure in the knowledge that your team and your name will always be emblazoned in Trinity rugby lore for all time. This than remains the Holy Grail of Trinity rugby, all else, merely details.

-Dilshan Senanayeke; Rugby Lion 1987-

Editor's Note: 

Dilshan carrying the Olympic flame at London 2012

Presently (2012) on secondment to the London Olympic and Paralympics organizing committee working in operations at the Olympic Village in London, Dilshan Senanayake has been given the rare honer of carrying the Olympic flame.  

Dilshan receiving his rugby Lion from Duncan White - 1987

He was bestowed this honer after being nominated by his employer John Lewis where he is attached to as a financial administrator for his work in inspiring individuals to take up coaching sport in their local community and for his work in mentoring volunteer coaches.  A level 2 rugby coach and referee Dilshan is attached to  Watford rugby club as an age group coach and has also done volunteer coaching in Wales.  Further he has started an initiative to send junior sports clothing to under privileged junior athletes in Sri Lanka through a tie-up with UK sports chain up and running.