CH & FC steady in progress to league title

CH & FC Rugby Team 2023 
Pix by Nimalsiri Edirisinghe

By Harsha Amarasinghe and Sandun Kodithuwakku 

CH & FC had a shocking start to their league campaign when they were stunned by a gallant Air Force Sports Club side in the opening week, but since then the team from Maitland Crescent has turned things around to get themselves back in the top four by the end of week four of the tournament.

Following their defeat to the Airmen, CH led by hooker Prasath Madushanka struck back with a win against Navy Sports Club and a draw against Army Sports Club while going down to red-hot CR & FC.

“We had an indifferent start against Air Force. It’s hard to believe we lost that match as we had the lead until the 60th minute but then they took the home advantage and we had a few injuries. After that the team bounced back very well beating Navy in a difficult fixture. So our progress has been steady for the league,” Asanka Rodrigo CH & FC head coach told Daily Mirror.

CH & FC have got one of the most experienced packs in the competition with quite a few seasonal campaigners.

“We have got some senior forwards in the shape of captain Prasath Madushanka, Dushmantha Priyadarshana, Sudarshana Muthuthanthri and Yoshitha Rajapaksa. In addition to that we have also got Anjula Hettiarachchi who recently represented Sri Lanka in sevens. So I am pretty pleased with the forwards,” Rodrigo added.

The Maitland Crescent Club has also been boosted by the return of former St. Anthony’s College Captain Dinuk Amarasinghe who is returning to action following a surgery which kept him out of action for nearly two years.

“Our backline has been strengthened by players like Dinuk Amarasinghe who is coming off an injury and then there is Janidu Dilshan who we believe is one of our key players in the line. Apart from that we have got players like the Lee brothers (Avishka and Avantha) as well as players like Hirusha Nethmina and Rohitha Rajapaksa. So, I believe our team can go all the way,” said Rodrigo.