Longdon Place to host crucial Trinity– St. Anthony’s encounter

By: Shamseer Jaleel

The much-anticipated President’s Trophy pre-quarterfinal Under-20 rugby encounter between Trinity College and St. Anthony’s College has been rescheduled and relocated. Originally slated for 25 April at the Nittawela Rugby Stadium, the encounter will now take place on 26 April at 6 PM under lights at the CR & FC Ground, Longdon Place in Colombo.

This change sets the stage for a thrilling night-time battle between two of Sri Lanka’s most storied rugby schools. Trinity, coming off a strong season last season, will be looking to assert their dominance early, while the Antonians aim to upset the odds and book their spot in the quarterfinals.

Trinity is led by Centre Usmaan Safraz, with Fazil Marija being their head coach, while the Antonians are led by fly-half Omitha Dissanayake, with Saliya Kumara heading the coach unit. The switch to a Colombo venue is expected to draw a larger crowd and add to the electric atmosphere under lights.

Fans from both camps will no doubt be out in force to support their teams in what promises to be a high-intensity knockout clash. According to a reliable source, the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association (SSRFA), which is organizing the tournament, held discussions with the Kandy Police to secure the Nittawela venue for the original fixture.

However, police are currently unable to provide security, as their resources have been deployed for the Dalada Maligawa religious event.