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| Saturday, 7 August 2004 |
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Rugby reflections and the Diamond Jubilee 'Bradby' by Branu Rahim This year is very significant in the history of the Bradby Shield encounters as it marks the Diamond Jubilee. As Royalists and Trinitians together with the multitude of their supporters converge on the Royal College Sports Complex today, an air of nostalgia will pervade among; past rugby players of the two institutions. Sixty years have gone by since the Shield was first introduced and the Bradby remains the only encounter, which has had an uninterrupted annual run since. The continuity of matches with every other school that Royal College has played has been interrupted at some stage or other, for some reason or other. However, like Tennyson's "Brook", the Bradby goes on forever. When Royal Skipper Lakshman Dissanayake leads his team out today in this historic encounter, he will be creating a little bit of history himself. He is the first third generation player to captain Royal College in rugby. Lakshman's father, Lakdasa who played for Royal from 1962 to 1964 earned a name for himself with his famed drop goals in the second Bradby of 1964, while his paternal grandfather, S.A. Dissanayake played for the school in 1931 and 1932. Also, Lakshman's elder brother Gemunu played for Royal from 1996 to 1998 and was vice captain in his last year. My baptism into Royal College rugby was some four decades ago. "Rugby is a fifteen man game where 14 players attempt to get the 15th player to score and you are not the 15th". These words were exhorted to me when I first turned up for College First XV rugby practices as a fresher. Confusing? It was confusion confounded, as I did not understand the game very much. To me, if the objective in rugby is for 14 players to get the 15th to score and you are not the 15th, then who is? Not wanting to rack my brian any further, I decided to accept this quotable quote on face value and interpret it more clearly in my mind that rugby is a fifteen man game where our team does not score! Consequently, if our side doesn't score then the objective of the game would be not to allow the opposition to score. Simple as that! From my era to date, the game has changed dramatically. Today, it has become very physical and more demanding on the players. As past Royal ruggerite and former Health Minister Dr. Ranjit Atapattu mentioned during the course of a speech at an Old Royalist's Rugby Dinner, "Even the game's medical science has changed. During our time an injured player would be made to stand up and his upper torso rocked up and down till he shows signs of recovery. Today, it is ice and the 'magic' spray which is the panacea bringing relief to injured players!" No person better illustrates this phenomenon to the young present day Royal rugby players than the good doctor with 'Jamaican' links, the affable rugby team physician, Dr. J.C. "Black Lightening" Fernando, endearingly referred to as "ice" doctor by his charges. A friend (a non-Royalist of course) recently asked me! "why is the Bradby so special to you". I pondered for a moment... and repeated to myself "Yeah! Why is the Bradby so special". I took a deep breath and looking him in the eye said, "Machang, to me the Bradby is not special. It is a passion! To all of us who have been fortunate enough to don the Blue and Gold jersey and have done battle with the old foe, it is something supreme. Nobody else can describe this sensational feeling other than someone who has actually played in the Bradby, whether in victory or defeat. More than being special the Bradby is Unique!" "Why do you say that" he queried. Another deep breath and I continue, "Machaaang.... to Royalists in general and Royalist rugby players in particular, the Bradby is Unique because it is our only encounter where two matches are played and the winner decided on the aggregate score. The encounter is played for the Bradby Shield which is acknowledged in the country as the Blue Riband of schools' rugby. Again, it is our only encounter where a past captain of the respective school hosting the game is invited as Chief Guest and the two college anthems are struck up by the school band after which the two teams area introduced to the Chief Guest. It is our only encounter where the two teams are hosted to a dinner by the respective school hosting the game. Doesn't this make the Bradby unique?" I asked. My friend hesitantly nodded in agreement. Unique, the Bradby certainly is and I firmly believe that the rugby fraternity at Royal College, both present and future will bear the torch in endeavouring to maintain this status quo at all times. If we desecrate this uniqueness, I am constrained to say that the donor of the shield, late Principal E. L. Bradby will surely turn in his grave! It was my very good fortune to have met Mr. Bradby himself when he was in Sri Lanka for the 100th Royal-Trinity game - the Bradby Shield second leg encounter in July 1983. The occasion was the Old Royalists' Rugby Dinner on 22nd July 1983. A group of us were in conversation with this revered gentleman and I posed to him the question, "Sir! What are your views on the Bradby matches of today as compared to the times when you presented the shield in promoting rugby between Royal and Trinity?" He replied, "I am delighted that this encounter has now blossomed into one of the finest occasions, not only in terms of rugby, but also as a social event." Continuing, he prophesied, "With schools rugby opening out and more institutions taking to the game, many will try to emulate the Bradby Shield encounter. It certainly will be good for the game as long as other schools initiate their own tradition. as Royalists I urge you to jealously safeguard the sanctity of this event and not allow anyone to take the glory of the Bradby Shield encounters away from Royalists and Trinitians!" How true these words have turned out to be. We now have the 'big matches' between Isipathana and Thurstan for the Abdul Jabbar Trophy; the Josephian-Peterite match for the Fr. Basil Weeratunga Trophy; Wesley versus Kingswood for the Blaze Trophy; the Ananda-Vidyartha encounter for the Gopallawa Trophy among others. While the Bradby Shield encounter is the trail-blazer that has set the standard for others to follow, schools that have started a 'big batch' tradition should be congratulated and encouraged, on their efforts and initiative. The most extra-ordinary incident I have ever seen at a rugby game was at a college Inter-House tournament in the mid sixties. In those days, the Inter House tournament was a fifteen-a-side affair for first XVers only and usually gets under way after the Bradby. As the turn-out at first XV practices is barely sufficient to form two teams, senior ruggerites from each of the four houses go scouting for players just to make up the numbers. The result is that the final team composition of each house would include some who have not seen a rugger ball, let alone having played rugby. So, these Inter-House games can sometimes turnout to be quite hilarious. On this day, it was our turn to play another house team. I was playing as wing-three-quarter and a near and dear classmate, who is now domiciled overseas, was playing as second centre. A scrum near the opposing team's 40-metre line with our put-in and the ball comes out our way. Scrum Half to Fly half, one step and a deft pass to the 1st centre followed by a quick pass to the 2nd Centre. When he collected the ball, I shouted "pass, pass" but he saw his burly opposite number charging towards him. He then made a snap decision to take the path of least resistance. He did a 180-degree 'U' turn and started dashing towards his own goal line, virtually chased by the entire opposition! Once in our in-goal area we expected him to touch down in defence, but he had other ideas. Seeing that the opposing team was tiring after the chase and in disarray he decided to take matters to his own hand. He began a run towards our 25 and some opposing team players let him go by in the belief that he had touched down in defence and was going to take a 'drop-out'. On reaching the 25-yard line he began a run towards opposition territory and only then did some of the other team members realise that he had not touched down in defence. As he began his run, attempts by the opposing team to catch or grab him was of no avail as he slipped tackle after feeble tackle. Our man then began gathering momentum and ran through many bemused opposing players. He now had only the fullback to beat. With a loud war cry he charged at the opposing full back, a small made personality who did not know whether he was coming or going and who stood dumbstruck. Through sheer fear, the fullback stepped aside and let our man pass freely allowing him to go by and score one of the most amazing tries I have ever seen! Getting on to the first leg of the Diamond Jubilee Bradby today, the hopes and aspirations of supporters of the two schools will be at an all time high. As they urge on their respective teams....'Go! Royal, Go!' or 'Go! Trinity Go!', we are sure to witness a match played in the highest traditions of the game and the two schools. As late Principal E.L. Bradby espoused when presenting the shield, "the game and the two schools must be the ultimate winner". Good Luck, Royal and Trinity! |
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