Demise of SHIRALI PEIRIS, the fmr. Police rugby player

This is what S. Sivendran, his 1967 skipper of 1967 Clifford Cup finalist said;

“It was with great shock I heard about the sudden passing away of former Police dashing winger T. Shirali Pieris in Las Vegas. He played under my captaincy contributing to the rise of Police rugby with his daring runs as a wing three quarter.

Last week when I phoned him from my home in Boston he appeared to be healthy and expressed his desire to returning back to Sri Lanka. But fate decided otherwise ending his wish to return to his motherland.

Shirali Pieris joined the Police in 1960 as a young Probationary Sub Inspector from Ananda College where he excelled in athletics as a sprinter. He was posted to Colombo DivIsion after passing out from the Police Training School to pursue his athletic career. I spotted him and encouraged him to take to rugby.

He played and captained the Colombo Division 7 A Side Rugby team which I coached. Later he became an automatic choice for the Police team under my captaincy with his dazzling speed which enabled us to defeat the reigning Clifford Cup champions the CR & FC in 1967.

Pieris left the Police prematurely as an Inspector and migrated to the USA and joined the Los Angeles Police and lived in Las Vegas. On one of my visits to my elder daughter Dr Renuka’s house in Thousand Oaks, Pieris invited me to his house in Las Vegas with my family and we enjoyed his hospitality. Since then we were in constant touch.

May he attain Nirvana”
I like to join with you

SHIRALI PEIRIS – RIP