RUGBY: Soon after that ‘Lightning Bolt’ struck the London 2012 Olympics, one can venture to say that its aftershocks were felt thousands of miles away at Havelock Park in our own microcosm of the Sri Lanka Rugby Olympics. This was when Kandy Sports, the reigning league champions, who had worn the crown securely for eleven long years, were dethroned by the unpredictable, yet ebullient, Havelocks Sports Club.
That this dethroning came in dramatic fashion was all the more significant as the odds were stacked against the Havies in spite of a strong, albeit surprising, showing during the season. The shock and awe they inflicted on Kandy was nothing less than rugby being served at the Park neat. No chasers. No adulteration. But on the rocks.
It left Kandy in a chill. Frozen. The Park’s folks were on the other hand gushing with adrenaline, stunned by their own accomplishment, and dizzy with a heady cocktail of 6 goals, one try and a penalty. And ready to Party in Havies tradition!
If this was simply a story about a victory by 15 Havelocks ruggerites then it will be recorded as such and celebrated and perhaps forgotten. But there is more to it than that. In many senses it’s a historic victory…… not only in overcoming Kandy, which to one’s regret is this column’s home town team, but in the way the Havelocks arranged their dance cards and performed throughout the season.
It is not only in the manner in which the Havelocks team played, but most importantly the way the Park Club organized itself and got out of a mess and a morass of issues. It brought home the reality that the game is but only a part of a club’s ecosystem. Success and failure have many facets to it.
The narrative will speak for itself.
Havelocks winning – no mean task
First on the historic win. Kandy had won the title consecutively for eleven years thanks to the pioneering work and sponsorship of former Royal and CR & FC ruggerite Malik Samarawickreme. So, turning the tables on them is no mean feat, especially that it was only a few weeks back that Kandy had beaten the Havelocks in the game played in Kandy (25/20).
Going into the return game, the bets were on Kandy as they had shown their usual mettle throughout the season and the recent win over Navy bolstered the chances of a victory on form. And they had the psychological advantage of being the reigning league champions.
But then the Havies were a team that had notched a string of gallant victories much against the trend of performance in the previous two seasons where the Park Club played second or third fiddle in the league. The Havies had beaten the Army at Havelock Park; beaten CH & FC at the CH grounds; the Navy at the Park; Air Force at Ratmalana; and Up Country Lions in Colombo. They had only lost to Kandy in the first round of matches.
Yet when Kandy opened scoring in the first ten minutes itself, it seemed that the writing was on the wall for the Havies. Although the Havies led 26-5 at half time, the redoubtable Kandy team were back in the fight as they scored two tries making the score 29-19 and leaving open the hope to Kandy fans that a comeback was possible. As it turned out however, the Havies, was a much fitter side, and their endurance, open play and super coordination it was reported left Kandy flat footed. Being the gracious sportsman that Malik Samarawickreme is, he would be the first to grant that the turn of events augurs well for the future of competitive rugby.
Havies created history
And so when The Havies won with the staggering margin of 50-19, they created history by topping the League after 31 long years. The last time the Park Club won was under ex-Peterite Angelo Wickremaratne when the late Quentin Israel, a close friend of this Column, was the President of the club.
To add to history, as recorded by Observer colleague Ranjan Anandappa, this was Kandy’s biggest defeat since they started dominating rugby in 1992 and it was the first win for the Havies over Kandy since 1995.
So much for history. What is significant is the manner in which the club, under the Presidency of Tyronne Coonghe revamped its operations and re-emerged as a viable entity. Tyronne, a former Joesephian and an All-Sri Lanka Schools Basketball player and a Public Schools’ Athlete brought to bear his leadership and organizational skills. He was able to put the finances of the club on a sustainable path, reassure ruggerites of being paid on time-which was a big issue in the past-and restore to the club the image of being one of the prestigious clubs in the city.
In addition, the club is blessed to have in their Coach Thusitha Peiris an accomplished professional and gentleman par excellence. A leading product of D.S. Senanayake MV, Thusitha once captained Havies rugby, is a qualified Accountant and serves also as the Treasurer of the club. He is the lead coach along with Laga the expatriate from Tonga and assisted by Leonard de Silva, an Old Peterite.
Thusitha – the ‘father’ of Havies
Coach, Thusitha carries out his task in an entirely honorary capacity. Players treat him as Pater-Familias – the father of the Havies family. They gravitate to him for advice and counseling, conflict resolution and even for the occasional loan – not repaid perhaps! At the same time he in uncompromising in the standards he sets for play, maintenance of discipline and the need for fighting fitness.
The Tyronne-Thusitah duo is regarded by many as the best support system that the club needed in its recent period of revival and renewal. And the sponsorship of Asanga Seneviratne’s Nations Lanka PLC gave a huge boost to the Club. The other sponsors were The Finance along with Dialog Axiata. The results speak for themselves.
The Havies 2012 squad that now goes down in history under the captaincy of Henry Terrance (Prop) comprised :
Henry Terrance ( Prop & Captain); Hookers : Rajeew Perera- Picka (Hooker); Anjula de Silva; Props : Dushmantha Priyadharshana (Bodhi); Liston Karunanayeke (Lista) and Lahiru Pavithra; Second Rowers: Kavinda Jayasena ( Kavi); Asela Dissanayeke (Ahal); Shennal Dias; Shafeer Jaha; Ashain Karthelis (Kara); Flankers :Sudharshana Muththuthanthri (Muththu); Dhiran Warnakulasuriya (Dilan);Thusitha Samarathileke ( Thusi); Danushka Malitha (Dand); Kasun de Silva; Nimesh Kumara (Muru) Flanker Lock forward Nissan Aitui. Scrum Halves: Amjad Buks(Bakshi); Andrew Benson; Rizwan Meedin (Mico); Fly Halves: Prasd Devinda (Deva) ;Niroshan Fernando(Niro); Centres: Chamara Vithanage(Vitha); Anurudhdha Willwra (Wlly); Lee Keegal; Niva Tiuso: Willioni Hakalo; Puliami Sopo; Wingers: Diesh Kumara ( Dinna); Sandun Herath; Mithun Hapugoda; Chamara Dabare; Full Backs : Mohomed Sherief ( Shera ); Isuru Shantha.
Rugby Coaches – T.Laga; Tusitha Peiris; and Leonard de Silva;
Rugby Manager – Dinesh Mudannayeke.
Havelocks known for social graces
The Havelocks in the good old days when this column did the rugby rounds was known for its social graces. Many a ruggerite found their future partners at the club and social events were block-busters. From all reports it would seem that those days are returning fast, if one goes by the dramatic turnaround in rugby performance, and the clink of ice cubes heralding celebratory toasts for the greater welfare of the club.
One of the patrons captured the mood and social revival well by saying that the night that the Havies beat Kandy and topped the league, the dancing never stopped till the early hours of the morning; and that young lasses fascinated by the dazzle of the of the rugby victory, and the rhythm of the Bands were descending on the club like confetti!
So much so that some wives had imposed curfews of their husbands, except that one of the husbands got busted when the bar keeper answered the phone and said “madam, your husband told me to tell you that he is not here!”
The party goes on!
