NDB, Brandix Apparel Main Sponsors of Royal Rugby

Dilshan de Silva, Chairman of Royal Rugby Match Organizing Committee receiving the sponsorship package from Kelum Edirisinghe, NDB and Sanjaya Perera, Senior Vice President, Personal Banking and Customer Experience, NDB. 
 

Dilshan de Silva, Chairman of Royal Rugby Match Organizing Committee receiving the sponsorship package from Hasitha Premaratne, Group Managing Director Brandix Apparel and Rajiv Malalasekera, Director Chief Executive Officer Brandix Apparel Solutions Pvt Ltd. 

The representative of the sponsors posing for a picture with the trophies that Royal will battle against traditional rugby playing schools this season.Pictures by Kithsiri de Mel   

By M. Shamil Amit   

National Development Bank(NDB) and Brandix Apparel Pvt Ltd have come forward for the third successive year to support the Royal College Colombo rugby team for the forthcoming Under 19 inter-schools rugby season which is scheduled to be kicked off on June 14.   

The annual rugby season is renowned for its long history of prestige and camaraderie among some of the country’s leading schools, where both winning and losing are embraced with grace.   

Royal this year led by Thivain Perera along with his two deputy captains Buwenaka Senanayake and Yehan Weerasooriya will kick off the season with the first match against Kingswood at Royal Sports Complex on June 15.   

Dushanth Lewke has been re-appointed as Head Coach. Lewke, who had a successful tenure as the Under-18 Head Coach, became the Assistant Coach of Royal College’s first XV team in 2013. In 2018, he was promoted to Head Coach, leading the team to league championships in 2018 and 2019.   

After finishing as league runners-up last year, Royal College is aiming for its 9th league title in the post-2000 era. In the past 5 years, Royal College has consistently ranked among the top three teams in the Division 1 Rugby League.   

Royal will host four home games, including the first leg of the 78th Bradby Shield Encounter against Trinity College, Kandy and apart from that they will confront rivals for the traditional trophy games that are played every year.   

Royal apart from the two main sponsors have succeeded to rake in many more sponsors in the likes of Uber Eats, Bixton Lighting, Union Assurance (Life Insurance), Homelands, Courtyard by Marriott, Bolt Gear, Lanka Hospitals, Vision Care, EOAS Organics, EFM, Ceylon Agro Industries, Ceylex Engineering, Affinity Consulting, Ralham Sports, American Water, Elephant House, Nestle Lanka, Quadrangle, Omnicom Media Group, Ceylon Cleaners, and Bolt Distribution.   

Organized by the Rugby Match Organizing Committee of Royal College, the Bradby Shield Encounter is expected to draw an overwhelming audience of over 15,000 spectators this year.   

Royal Rugby Fixtures 2024

June 15 - Kingswood College (Home), June 23 - Vidyartha College (Away), June 29 - Zahira College (Away)   

July 6 - Thurstan College (Away), July 13 - Wesley College (Away), July 19 - St. Joseph’s College (Away), July 27 - St. Peter’s College (Home) - B.C. Angie Memorial Trophy   

August 24 - Trinity College (Home) - Bradby Shield 1st Leg,   

September 7 - Trinity College (Away) - Bradby Shield 2nd Leg   

TBD - S. Thomas’ College - Michael Gunarathne Trophy   

TBD - Isipathana College - Major Milroy Fernando Trophy