Trinity College Rugby Stadium

Last updated

Trinity College Rugby Stadium
ත්‍රිත්ව විද්‍යාලයීය රග්බි ක්‍රීඩාංගණය
டிரினிட்டி கல்லூரி ரக்பி மைதானம்
Trinity College Rugby Stadium
AddressPallekele, Kandy, Sri Lanka
Coordinates 7°16′45″N80°42′34″E / 7.27907°N 80.70931°E / 7.27907; 80.70931
Owner Trinity College
OperatorTrinity College
TypeStadium
Genre(s) Rugby and Football
SurfaceGrass
Construction
Broke ground31 October 1993
Opened3 May 1997
Tenants
Trinity College Rugby
Trinity College Football
Website
trinitycollege.lk

Trinity College Rugby Stadium is the rugby and football ground of Trinity College, Kandy. Located in Pallekele, Sri Lanka a suburb of Kandy, it is about 12 kilometres away from the school.

Contents

History

Before the construction of the Trinity College Rugby Stadium (TCRS), Trinity College played its home rugby fixtures at Bogambara Stadium, Nittawela Rugby Stadium, or occasionally at the University Rugby Football Ground in Peradeniya. Rugby practices, training matches, and inter-house competitions were held at Asgiriya Stadium, a venue owned by Trinity College. [1] [2]

Given Asgiriya's status as a Test cricket venue, continued rugby use was deemed unsuitable. Due to Kandy's limited number of suitable sporting venues, Trinity College sought an alternative location to establish a rugby venue near the city. This endeavour was successful when the then President, D. B. Wijetunga, through the Urban Development Authority (UDA) and with cabinet approval, granted the school a 4-hectare land extent in Pallekele on a 99-year lease for the construction of a rugby stadium. [3]

Construction of the TCRS began in February 1994, following an inaugural walk from the school to the Pallekele land on 31 October 1993, led by the then Principal, L. M. De Alwis. Another walk from the school to the stadium under construction took place on 18 January 1997, coinciding with Trinity's 125th anniversary celebrations.

The inaugural inter-school rugby match at TCRS was contested between Trinity and Vidyartha College, Kandy, on 3 May 1997, with Trinity's 1XV emerging victorious 31–7. The first Bradby Shield match hosted at TCRS was on 21 June 1997, when Trinity faced Royal College, Colombo, in the first leg of the 53rd encounter. Trinity won 14–6. [4] [5]

Since 1997, Trinity College has hosted nearly all of its home matches from the schools rugby league at TCRS. Due to ongoing construction and facility improvements, Bradby Shield matches were held intermittently at Pallekele until 2012. Since then, Trinity has consistently hosted the Kandy leg of the Bradby Shield at TCRS. [6] [7]

Other uses

TCRS serves as a venue for Trinity College inter-house rugby and football matches, as well as inter-school football matches. Occasionally, TCRS has been utilised by Sri Lanka Rugby, the Football Federation of Sri Lanka, and other schools from Kandy to host sporting events or tournaments. [8] [9] [10] [11] [12] [13]

See also

Notes

    Related Research Articles

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Kandy</span> City in the Central Province of Sri Lanka

    Kandy is a major city in located in the Central Province of Sri Lanka. It was the last capital of the Sinhalese monarchy from 1469 to 1818, under the Kingdom of Kandy. The city is situated in the midst of hills in the Kandy plateau, which crosses an area of tropical plantations, mainly tea. Kandy is both an administrative and religious city and the capital of the Central Province. Kandy is the home of the Temple of the Tooth Relic, one of the most sacred places of worship in the Buddhist world. It was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1988. Historically the local Buddhist rulers resisted Portuguese, Dutch, and British colonial expansion and occupation.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Sri Lanka national cricket team</span> Cricket team

    The Sri Lanka men's national cricket team, nicknamed The Lions, represents Sri Lanka in men's international cricket. It is a full Member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) with Test, One-Day International (ODI) and T20 International (T20I) status. The team first played international cricket in 1926–27 and became an associate member of the ICC in 1965. They were awarded the Test status in 1981, which made Sri Lanka the eighth Test cricket-playing nation. The team is administered by Sri Lanka Cricket.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Asgiriya Stadium</span> Cricket stadium in Kandy, Sri Lanka

    Asgiriya Stadium, is a cricket ground located in Kandy, Sri Lanka. Uniquely owned by Trinity College, Kandy, it is conveniently situated a short distance away from the city centre. Historically, it was a prominent venue for Test matches when international teams toured Sri Lanka. Asgiriya gained fame as the country's second Test cricket ground in 1982–83 when it hosted Greg Chappell's Australian team, following in the footsteps of the Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu Stadium.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Kingswood College, Kandy</span> National / public school in Kandy, Central Province, Sri Lanka

    Kingswood College, Kandy is a Sri Lankan Public school offering boys primary and secondary education. The school was founded by Louis Edmund Blaze on 4 May 1891, with eleven students at a site on Pavilion Street in Kandy. Later, the school was moved to Randles Hill. Since then, the school has grown considerably, having over 3,500 students and 300+ faculty members. It is one of the oldest schools in Kandy and is commonly known as KCK.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Bradby Shield Encounter</span> Annual rugby competition between Royal College and Trinity College

    The Bradby Shield Encounter, colloquially referred to as The Bradby, is an event within Sri Lanka's school rugby union season. This annual fixture takes place between two renowned boys’ schools in the country, namely Royal College, Colombo, and Trinity College, Kandy. The encounter involves two legs, with one currently held at the Royal College Sports Complex in Colombo and the other at the Trinity College Rugby Stadium in Pallekele. The winner of the competition is determined based on the aggregate of scores from both matches, typically played a couple of weeks apart.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Sri Lanka national rugby union team</span>

    The Sri Lanka national rugby union team, known as the Tuskers, represents Sri Lanka in men's international rugby union. The team has yet to make their debut at the Rugby World Cup. They have the longest tradition of organised club rugby in Asia, dating back to 1879, which was just 8 years after the founding of the world's first rugby union in England. They regularly compete in the Asian Five Nations tournament and are currently in Division I. In the 2010 tournament, they made it to the finals beating Chinese Taipei 37 to 7.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Bogambara Stadium</span>

    Bogambara Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Kandy, Sri Lanka It is one of the oldest grounds in the country. Stadium is currently used mostly for Rugby matches and hosted the games of the Singer Sri Lankan Airlines Rugby 7's. It has a capacity of 30,000.

    Kandurata cricket team was a Sri Lankan first class cricket team based in Kandy, that represented Central Province of Sri Lanka. Kandurata competed in all three provincial tournaments:the first class cricket competition known as the Inter-Provincial First Class Tournament, the List A cricket competition known as the Inter-Provincial Limited Over Tournament and the Twenty20 competition known as the Inter-Provincial Twenty20.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Rugby union in Sri Lanka</span>

    Rugby union in Sri Lanka is mainly played at a semi-professional and recreational level. It is a popular team sport with a history dating back to 1879. In 2012, according to International Rugby Board figures, there were over 160,000 registered rugby union players in Sri Lanka, making it the second largest rugby-playing nation in Asia, behind Japan.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Dharmaraja–Kingswood Cricket Encounter</span> Annual Big Match commonly known as "The Battle of the Maroons"

    Dharmaraja–Kingswood Cricket Encounter is the annual cricket match between two of the largest government-run national boys' schools in Kandy, Sri Lanka: Dharmaraja College, Kandy and Kingswood College, Kandy. It is the oldest cricket match series in the central province and second oldest in Sri Lanka, having been played for 131 years. It is also known as the Battle of the Maroons, referring to the school colours of the two schools.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Pallekele International Cricket Stadium</span> Cricket stadium in Sri Lanka

    Pallekele International Cricket Stadium is a cricket stadium in Kandy, Sri Lanka. The stadium opened on 27 November 2009 and became the world's 104th Test venue in December 2010.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal College, Colombo</span> Public school in Colombo, Sri Lanka

    Royal College, Colombo also known as; Royal Colombo, Colombo Royal College or Colombo Royal) is a selective entry boys' school located in Cinnamon Gardens, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Started by Joseph Marsh in 1835, it was established as the Colombo Academy by Sir Robert Wilmot-Horton in January 1836, as part of the implementation of the recommendations of the Colebrooke Cameron Commission (1833), and was the first government-run secondary school for boys in the island.

    Pallekele is a suburb of the city of Kandy in the Kandy District of the Central Province, Sri Lanka. This area is notable for hosting several significant institutions, including the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, the Trinity College Rugby Stadium, the Sri Lanka International Buddhist Academy (SIBA), and the PALK Seismic Station.

    Sport in the Central Province of Sri Lanka has produced sports people in Sri Lanka for a wide range of sports. Sport in the Central Province is mainly dominated by Kandy who have produced national captains of cricket and rugby, and athletes that play at the highest level of all sports.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Quentin Israel</span>

    Quentin Shelton Nagalingam Israel was a rugby coach and a school teacher from Sri Lanka.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinity–Antonian Cricket Encounter</span> Annual cricket competition between Trinity College and St. Anthonys College

    The Battle of the Blues (Kandy), also referred to as the Trinity–Antonian Cricket Encounter or Hill Country Battle of the Blues, stands as the sixth oldest traditional school cricket match, commonly known as a Big Match, held annually in Sri Lanka. Dating back to 1914, this encounter sees Trinity College, Kandy, and St. Anthony's College, Kandy, engage in a two-day cricket contest. The John Halangoda Memorial Trophy is bestowed upon the victor of the match, determined by either an outright win or, failing that, a first innings triumph. It is noteworthy that a first innings victory does not formally register as a win for the respective team in the records.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinity College, Kandy</span> Private school in Kandy, Sri Lanka

    Trinity College, Kandy is a private Anglican boys' school located in Kandy, Sri Lanka. It offers both day and boarding facilities. It was founded in 1872 by British Anglican missionaries of the Church Missionary Society, modelled on British public school tradition. Trinity offers primary and secondary education, and is a leading private school in Sri Lanka managed by the Anglican Church of Ceylon.

    63rd Battle of the Babes was the 2023 edition of Battle of the Babes a School Cricket Match Series played between St. Sylvester's College and Vidyartha College as part of the 2023 edition of Big Matches. It includes a Test match and a One-Day match. The One-Day Match is also known as 34th One-Day Encounter.

    Ajith Abeyratne was a Sri Lankan rugby union player, administrator, commentator and coach.

    References

    1. ↑ "Behind the Shield – The history, the heroes, the hearts of 75 years: 1945–2019". 20 August 2019. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
    2. ↑ "Back in the mane game". Quadrangle. 18 April 2017. Archived from the original on 2 April 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
    3. ↑ Ratnayake, Ranjit (25 July 2010). "A salute from one old Trinitian to another". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
    4. ↑ Jayasekara, Bandula (15 June 1997). "Learn, depart or look to the end". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
    5. ↑ Seneviratne, Shane (22 June 1997). "Bradby Shield rugby – Trinity get slim lead in 1st leg". The Sunday Times. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
    6. ↑ De Joodt, Ken (23 September 2006). "Hemaka Amarasuriya – an amiable sports celebrity". Daily News. Archived from the original on 21 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
    7. ↑ Marikar, Hafiz (3 May 2015). "Bradby' time at Pallekele". Sunday Observer. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
    8. ↑ "Inter-House Rivalry Kicks off at Pallekele – Senior Inter-House Rugby Tournament 2022". Trinity College. 25 February 2022. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
    9. ↑ "Inter-House Football Encounter 2020". Trinity College. 12 March 2020. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
    10. ↑ "All Island Under 16 10-a-side rugby kicks off tomorrow". Daily Mirror. 29 September 2023. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
    11. ↑ "Trinity Under 20 Football team emerge group champions in the Sri Lanka Schools' Football Federation Tournament 2022". Trinity College. 16 December 2022. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
    12. ↑ "Netball and football at Pallekele today". Daily FT. 6 February 2020. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
    13. ↑ Dhananjan, Kevin (30 July 2023). "Pallekele Erupts as The Eagles Secure Super Round Spot". ThePapre. Archived from the original on 22 August 2024. Retrieved 22 August 2024.
    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.