The Trinity College U20 Rugby team won the 7s title at the recently concluded tournament held at the Pallekele Rugby Stadium on the 21st and 22nd of September 2019.
Sevens Rugby, which is played at a quick pace, suited the Trinitians playing style as they have many ‘speedsters’ in their team.
Showing great skill and determination over the two days, the team proved to all the spectators and rugby enthusiasts that they are a force to be reckoned with as they managed to win the 7s title after 42 years.
Day 1
On the first day of the tournament, the team cruised passed Lumbini College with a big total on the score board. The team received a walk-over later on and qualified to compete in the Cup Quarter-finals on day 2.
Day 2
The Trinitians faced rivals St. Anthonys’ College in the Quarter finals. The team played some good rugby, spreading the ball out to the corners and playing the game using the entire field, resulting in a 32-14 win and qualifying for the semi-finals.
The team then faced Isipathana College later on in the day. Although the game was a tightly contested affair, the Trinitians managed to pull off a 12-5 win and get to the finals.
It all came down to the last game of the evening. Months of hard work came down to these 14 minutes. The Trinitians faced St. Peters’ College in the Cup Final match and the crowd gathered around to witness this epic battle.
The game kicked off and both teams shared possession of the ball equally. The Trinitians defended quite impressively and the teams went into lemons with nothing separating them and nothing on the score board, 0-0.
The second half began with the Trinitians bringing in a bit more intensity to their game. This helped the team to hold on to the ball and make the opposition defend and tire. The Trinitians took advantage of this and they went over the whitewash in the dying minutes of the game. The conversion went astray, but the referee blew the long whistle as the crowd invaded the pitch. The players were overjoyed as they knew they had won some much long awaited silverware.
The Captain of the team Reshan Bandaranayake had this to say to us after the memorable victory.
I take this opportunity to thank my team-mates who gave their best and made this memorable victory possible. If not for their dedication, sacrifices and determination this wouldn’t have been a reality. I also thank the school authorities, teachers, my fellow schoolmates, old boys and our parents for the support given at all times. Last but not least my gratitude goes to the dynamic coaching staff and Scrummage who always believed in us and pushed us beyond limits to achieve this memorable victory. My message to all is to live up to our motto and look to the end.
Whilst congratulating the players, we also would like to thank the coaching staff and the management for their untiring effort at all times.
