Colombo Touch Rugby Club Tastes First International Glory – By Lawrence Machado
Sri Lanka’s pioneering Colombo Touch Rugby Club are celebrating their first overseas success after winning the Mixed Bowl at the Chiang Mai International Touch Tournament on May 16 and 17. Their men’s team brought home the runners-up trophy to add to their overall success.
It’s a remarkable achievement for the Sri Lankan representatives, who began their journey less than two years ago with nine players. The tournament, organised by the Lanna Hedgehogs in Chiang Mai, Thailand, featured 12 teams and was played in a very competitive but fun atmosphere.
Matthew Hirst, Director of Rugby at Lanna RC, said the growth of the sport was exciting. “It’s so great to see touch rugby grow in Thailand,” he said. “This tournament has been a key part of that growth as we started last year, and it’s grown by 50% in only a year.”
Colombo Touch RC claimed the Mixed Shield, outclassing the SEA Barbarians in the final for their first international title. The Colombo men’s team, captained by Niran Jordan, had a superb run, but Southerners Touch had their measure in the final.
Club’s Rapid Growth
Colombo Touch RC founder and mixed team skipper Maas Savanghan said it was the first time the club fielded a men’s team and a mixed team at an international competition.
“It’s an achievement that reflects the club’s rapid growth and rising prominence within the regional touch rugby community,” Savanghan told eLanka.
“What makes this accomplishment even more significant is the extraordinary journey behind it.”
Maas and his younger brother Romesh are among the founding members of CTRC, having a rich rugby union pedigree behind them. They are the sons of the late Thajone Savanghan and nephews of Juragan Savaghan, two of Sri Lanka’s finest ruggerites.
Thajone captained Isipathana College, Havelocks and the Colombo Clubs XV against the top British side, the Bosuns. He also led Havelocks to the rare double of the A Division title and Clifford Cup in 1976.
The Savanghan Legacy
Thajone and his equally-tough elder brother, DIG Juragan Juragan, were among Isipathana’s and Sri Lanka’s most successful rugby players in a golden era. Juragan skippered both Isipathana and Police, helping the latter win their first Clifford Cup in 1972.
Maas Savanghan thanked Sydney-based Keith Rozairo and the Sri Lankan Touch community in Australia for their big support.
“We get a lot of support from the Sri Lankan Touch Community in Australia. In particular, Keith Rozairo, who is our development officer, flies down every quarter to run boot camps with us,” said a grateful Savanghan.
Lankans Enjoy Touch Rugby
Rozario is well known in local touch football circles for his experience and coaching in this fast-growing sport. There are several Lankan clubs playing touch football in Sydney, Melbourne and other states, while the Sri Lanka Touch Footy Club Sydney (https://shorturl.at/ca8EA) organises regular events and attracts a multicultural following.
The CTRC began humbly but enthusiastically with nine players. Today, the club boasts more than 140 members and has participated in two international tournaments while successfully hosting one.
Savanghan, who celebrated his birthday in style during the finals, said the Chiang Mai tour followed months of dedication, planning, and perseverance.
“At the start of the year, the club set itself an ambitious goal: to take its entire squad overseas,” Sanaghan said. “Despite the challenges of fundraising, logistics, and coordination, the team made one promise: that no player would be left behind.”
Savanghan said they succeeded in taking all the players to Thailand, which was a victory in itself.
“On the field, the teams delivered exceptional performances,” Savanghan said. “For a young club, these results underscore not only athletic ability but also the resilience, unity, and spirit that define our club.
“We had practised for over two months, and we were aiming for silverware, but we did not know how we would match up against the foreign competition,” Maas Savanghan said.
Strong Team Bonding
“We took 25 players and two squads to Thailand. The group has been playing together for a long time, and although we were new to the game, we had a good appreciation of our own strengths and weaknesses.
“We appreciate our growing number of followers, including Laugfs, whose backing played a crucial role in making the tour possible.”
Savanghan and Romesh, who grew up in the UAE where his Dad worked, first played mini rugby under the expert coaching of former Sri Lankan Air Force fly-half M. Mahesweran, who managed the Dubai Exiles for many years.
The family relocated to Sri Lanka in 1998, after Thajone and his wife, Noorani, finished their stints in Dubai and Bahrain. Both talented brothers represented Dubai and the Arabian Gulf in the late 90s, and continued their rugby in Sri Lanka. They have since forged successful careers.
Maas had the honour of representing the Arabian Gulf at the Under-19 Schools World Cup in Dubai.
Lasting Social Impact
“Beyond competition, the Colombo Touch Rugby Club remains committed to fostering a community that goes beyond sport,” explained Savanghan. “We want to build connections, promote inclusivity, and create lasting social impact.”
“The CTRC is a non-profit organisation, established to build a community and inculcate the game of FIT (Federation of International Touch) Touch in Sri Lanka, which is new, even though we have a rich pedigree of rugby union.”
The CTRC is to host their second international tournament on September 5 and 6 in Nittawela, Kandy, keen to spread the sport across the island, which has a rich rugby history. Ceylon, as it was then known, was actually the first nation in Asia to play rugby in 1879.
