Ceylonese Rugby & Football Club

Ceylonese
Full name	Ceylonese Rugby & Football Club
Union	SLRFU
Founded	1922
Location	Colombo, Sri Lanka
Ground(s)	CR & FC Grounds (Capacity: 5,550)
CEO	Rajah Akbar
President	Sriyan Cooray
Captain(s)	T. A. Kavindu Perera
League(s)	Dialog Rugby League; Clifford Cup
2016-17	4th
	Team kit
	Team kit

Ceylonese Rugby & Football Club, also known as CR & FC, is a Division-A rugby union team based in Colombo, Sri Lanka which plays in the Dialog Rugby League. Established in 1922, the club has won the Clifford Cup Knockout Tournament twelve times. Their nickname is the Red Shirts.[1]

History

The club was founded in 1922 by Colonel E. H. Joseph. It was the first rugby-only organization in the country at the time.[2] It had its roots in the Nondescripts Cricket Club (NCC), and depended on NCC and Havelock Sports Club for practices and matches during its first four years. Supporters called them the Red Shirts because of their uniform and club colours.[3]

Prominent figures in Sri Lankan society participated in the committee at the inaugural Annual General Meeting in 1923, including members of the Schokman, Rockwood, Saravanamutthu, Weinman, and Ondatjie families. The first captain was L. O. Weinman, and the vice-captain was Rajah Hewavitharana.

After World War I, the Clifford Cup was re-introduced and the CR & FC lost to the United Services team 3-6. The club flourished over the next few decades, with boys from Trinity College, Royal College, Zahira College, St Peter's College, St Thomas' College, and subsequently Isipathana College representing it with distinction. A new clubhouse was opened in December 1964, and the main gate was opened in 1965.

The club also maintains a senior Men's Rugby Union team. Features for members include a billiard room, squash courts, lighted tennis courts, a gymnasium, a swimming pool and an indoor badminton court. CR & FC has had a number of its players play for the Sri Lanka national rugby union team.

Colours and name

The club colours are those of the regiment commanded by its founder, E. H. Joseph. He insisted that the club colors should be the artillery red and blue, and persuaded the general committee.[2]

Stadium

The club's home ground is CR & FC Grounds. On 29 June 2007 a new pavilion was opened by its primary sponsors, Football Federation of Sri Lanka president Hurley Silveira and Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation CEO David Griffiths. The new building includes a 500-seat viewing deck, six corporate boxes, two dressing rooms, an outside bar for members and guests, a bar for members, and a restaurant for members and guests.[4]

Players

Current Players

Tharinda Ratwatte (vc)
J. M. Gayan Dilshan
K. G. Nalin Kumara
R. Ishan Warnapura
Kavindu De Costa
P. P. Waranakulasuriya
W. M. S. Weerasekara
S. W. I. S. Angammana
K.Sammandapperuma
Reyhan Rumesh Silva
Thisila Karunathilake
Omalka Gunaratne

Charana Chamikara
M. H. Noor Adahan
Reeza Raffaideen
Gayan Jayasekara
Harith Bandara
Chamodh Fernando
Joel Perera
Hirantha Manamendra
Shashika Fernando
Chanaka Kumara
Chanaka Chandimal
A.Kamil
Dulanjana Wijesinghe
Gemunu Chethiya
Janidu Dilshan

Kevin Dixon
Mithila Perera
Rahul De Silva
Rehaan Weerakoon
Shehab Dias
Stephen Sivaraj
Sumudu Rankothge
Sven Muller
Nilupul Devinda
Wajid Fawmy
Vishwa Ranaraja
Himantha Hirushan
Risith Fernando

Past players

1923-1950 [5]

L. O. Weinman (1923-1924)
A. R. Lourensz (1924-1926)
J. A. V.Modder (1927-1928)
C. W. M. Oorloff (1929-1930)
G. Pereira (1930-1931)
E. F. N. Gratiaen (1932-1933)
S. G. De Zoysa (1934-1935)
E. F. N. Gratiaen (1936-1937)
R. E. Blaze (1937-1938)
W. D. Ratnavale (1938-1940)
N. W. Weerasinghe (1940-1942)
Vacant (1942-1946)
F. B. Ohlmus (1946-1948)
F. E. Keller (1948-1949)
W. Molegoda (1949-1950)

1950-1970

A. Perera (1950-1951)
M. Rodrigo (1951-1954)
S. Navaratnam (1954-1956)
M. G. Wright (1956-1957)
G. C. Weinman/A. A. Cader (1957-1958)
A. A. Cader (1958-1959)
A. Paiva (1959-1960)
K. Rambukwella (1960-1961)
G. C. Weinman (1961-1962)
G. R. Ingleton (1962-1964)
R. T. De Sylva (1964-1965)
S. C. De Sylva (1965-1966)
E. D. K. Roles (1966-1967)
M. Azain (1967-1968)
T. L. Sirimanne (1968-1969)
M. Sahayam (1969-1970)

1970-1990

N. H. Omar (1970-1971)
D. V. P. Samarasekera (1971-1972)
D. De Almeida (1972-1973)
K. G. Ratnapala (1973-1974)
R. Bartholameusz (1974-1975)
R. W. Schockman (1975-1976)
I. Coomaraswamy (1976-1977)
S. H. C. Fernanndo (1977-1978)
I. M. De Z. Gunasekera (1978-1979)
P. R. Balasuriya (1979-1980)
J. Rudra (1980-1981)
C. P. Abeygunawardena (1981-1982)
I. Musafer (1982-1983)
L. RSiriwardena (1983-1984)
E. M. S. Matthysz (1984-1985)
K. R. T. Peiris (1985-1986)
E. Epaarachchi (1986-1987)
D. T. A. Adihetty/C. Jordashe (1987-1988)
C. Jordashe (1988-1989)
S. Siddik (1989-1990)

1990-2010

P. Ekanayake (1990-1991)
L. V. Ekanayake (1991-1992)
L. Gunaratne (1992-1994)
Shanitha Fernando (1994-1995)
L. Gunaratne (1995-1996)
V. Prasanna (1996-1997)
A. Hensman (1997-1998)
C. Nishantha (1998-2000)
S. de Saram (2000-2001)
K. Musafer (2001-2002)
A. Rodrigo (2002-2003)
S. Nawaz (2003-2004)
P. Fernando (2004-2007)
A. Dharmatilleke (2007-2008)
S. Mohamed (2008-2009)
Ashean Karthelis (2009-2010)
Dushantha Lewke (2010–2011)
Lasitha De Costa (2011-2012)
Ishan Noor (2013-2014)
Ashan De Costa(2014-2015)
Ishan Noor(2015-2016)
Shane Sammandapperuma(2016-2017)
Kavindu Perera(2017-2018)
Omalka Gunaratne(2018-2019)

General committee

Sriyan Cooray - President
Ted Hiran Muttiah - Deputy President
Jakque Diasz - Hon. General Secretary
Nuwan De Silva - Hon. Treasurer
Ravi Perera - Vice President
Ashan Ratwatte - Vice President
C. P. Abeygunawardena - Chairman Rugby Board

Past presidents include:

1922-1960

E. H. Joseph (1922-1935)
H. K. De Kretser (1936-1947)
H. N. V. C. Kelaart (1948-1952)
V. C. Kelaart (1953-1954)
S. G. De Zoysa (1954-1955)
J. W. Serasinghe (1956-1957)
W. D. Ratnavale (1957-1958)
A. P. Koelmeyer (1959-1960)

1960-1970

N. W. Weerasinghe (1960-1961)
P. Ramanathan (1961-1962)
F. B. Ohlmus (1963-1964)
W. Molegoda (1964-1966)
A. E. R. McHeyzer (1967-1968)
S. Navaratnam (1968-1969)
M. G. Wright (1969-1970)

1970-1980

G. C. Weinman (1970-1971)
R. Rajasingham (1971-1972)
M. Rodrigo (1972-1973)
K. Rambukwella (1973-1975)
A. K. Doray (1975-1976)
D. Rodrigo (1976-1977)
T. C. M. Muttaih (1977-1978)
Percy Perera (1978-1979)
S. Navaratnam (1979-1980)

1980-1990

Lalith De Silva (1980-1981)
N. H. Omar (1981-1982)
D. V. P. Samarasekera (1982-1983)
D. De Almeida (1983-1984)
Ifthikar Cader (1984-1985)
S. H. C. Fernando (1985-1986)
U.N. Gunasekera (1986-1990)

1991–present

S. R. P. Samarasekera (1991-1992)
R. T. De Sylva (1993-1994)
G. Manik Pereira (1995-1996)
D. M. Balasuriya (1996-1997)
C. J. Fernando (1998-1999)
E. M. S. Matthysz (2000-2002)
C. Dharmadasa (2003-2004)
R. N. Balasuriya (2005-2008)
Jehan CanagaRetna (2009-2010)
Rienzie Fernando (2011-2012)
Christopher Jordash (2013-2014)
Ravi Guneratne

Honours

The club was the 2013 Plate and Shield Champion in the SLRFU Sevens Tournament. In 2007 it was a runner-up in the Caltex League Tournament, and in 2006, 2008, 2009, and 2010 it was a runner-up in the Dialog Rugby League. The club was a runner-up in the 2008 Clifford Cup and the winner in 1954–1959, 1964–1966, 1987–1989 and 2006. It was also the champion of the President's Trophy Knockout Tournament in 1977, 1983, 1990–1994 and 2007.

References

Seneviratne, Ranjeeva. "CR clinch Rugby Sevens Title after 14 years". Daily News. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
"History". Ceylonese Rugby & Football Club. Archived from the original on 6 November 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
"ABOUT US - CEYLONESE RUGBY AND FOOTBALL CLUB". Retrieved 2016-08-16.
"The rise of a New Era". Ceylonese Rugby & Football Club. Archived from the original on 4 February 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
"Captains". Ceylonese Rugby & Football Club. Archived from the original on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2011.

External links

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[1] Seneviratne, Ranjeeva. "CR clinch Rugby Sevens Title after 14 years". Daily News. Archived from the original on 18 October 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2011.

[hist-2] "History". Ceylonese Rugby & Football Club. Archived from the original on 6 November 2014. Retrieved 12 December 2011.

[3] "ABOUT US - CEYLONESE RUGBY AND FOOTBALL CLUB". Retrieved 2016-08-16.

[4] "The rise of a New Era". Ceylonese Rugby & Football Club. Archived from the original on 4 February 2016. Retrieved 12 December 2011.

[5] "Captains". Ceylonese Rugby & Football Club. Archived from the original on 12 March 2012. Retrieved 12 December 2011.