Memories of Geoff Weinman – By U L Kaluaratchchi
The news of the recent demise of Geoff Weinman after a long span of 93 years did not come as a surprise to me. I am saddened, nevertheless, as over the years, beginning from around 1957 I had enjoyed a very rewarding relationship with him.
He spent his last years in an Elders’ Home well cared for by its professional staff. I was in constant touch with him on a regular basis even after he emigrated to Australia until unfortunate circumstances made him incommunicado. Thereafter, it was a case of obtaining regular updates on his health from the professional staff of the Elders’ Home. Perhaps the last Sri Lankans to visit him there were two of my former teammates, long-time residents in Sydney, Dr. Shivantha Arudpragasam and Rex Perera, inseparable second-row forwards of my time!
Geoff was my first rugby mentor at Royal College way back in 1957. As a youngster of barely 15 years I was simply overwhelmed by his commanding presence. So were the others present at practices. With a Jeff Chandler look about him, and oozing with geniality, he made his presence a mesmerising experience, Indeed! And so began my journey with him as many others did, who were moulded by him into more than competent rugby players.
In school and thereafter Geoff had been a superlative sportsman. To be more specific, he first played Rugby for Royal in 1948 under the indefatigable Ashey Cader. It was a memorable year because Royal won the coveted Bradby Shield for the first time after it was awarded in 1945, with 14 freshers, Ashey Cader being the only coloursman. In an airmail communication to me way back in the late 90s Geoff related how disappointed he was that he could not make it to the Royal team in1947, due to a misunderstanding on his part. His name had been included as a selectee and posted on the College Notice Board, which fact was conveyed to him by his elder brother John who was also playing in the team at that time. Unfortunately, Geoff had to forfeit his place because he had not attended the last day of practice. So when he played in that winning team of 1948 as Ashey Cader’ s Deputy “it was with the pent-up fury of an unleashed tornado, which probably had something to do with the success of fourteen freshers and the fact that I received a Ceylon Cap a year later” (air mail communication to me in 1999) An year later i.e. in1949 Geoff captained the team and his superlative performances as a wing forward (flanker in today’s parlance) enabled him to earn his first National Jersey in the All-India Tournament of that year. Thus he became the first Sri Lankan to represent the national team as a schoolboy. This was, indeed, a great achievement considering the fact that rugby in Sri Lanka (then Ceylon) was dominated by Europeans and only a few locals, so to speak, were able to gain national selection. Being one of them as a schoolboy was an outstanding accomplishment indeed! The other Ceylonese who played with him in that Tournament for Ceylon, captained by L.E.F. Simpson, were Ray de Zilva, William Molegoda, Summa Navaratnam, Fred Aldons and Mahesa Rodrigo.
Young Geoff Weinman the first schoolboy to win the Ceylon National Jersey in 1949 is standing on the extreme right of the photo.
In an airmail communication dated 19 July 2001 Geoff described his approach to sports thus “……talent alone does not by itself succeed. What eventually does is the hunger to be better than the best. This enhances your natural ability to an extent that when the ‘opportunity’ comes, as it eventually does to everyone, you are more than ready to make the most of it….”. Hunger to be better than the best that was what he attempted to instil into us.
It was not only in Rugby Football that Geoff excelled in school. Apart from captaining the rugby team in 1949 as aforesaid he had also captained the College Athletics team that year and won his Boxing colours as well. So he belongs to a special class of sportsmen, a Triple Coloursman in Rugby, Athletics and Boxing, and the captain two of the sports he represented, in addition to being a Lance Sergeant in the College Cadet Contingent as well.
On leaving school Geoff represented the Ceylonese Rugby and Football Club (CR) as a wing forward (flanker) between 1950 and 1961. There had been four players at the CR vying to play in the Third-Row, of whom Geoff was one. Others were Ashey Cader, H. Numan and Norman Gunawardene, Ashey Cader as No.08 being the constant factor. Geoff had played in the company of his elder brother John in the CR third row as well. It was a treat to watch Geoff Weinman, Ashey Cader and Norman Gunawardene working zealously together not only for the CR but for Colombo Clubs (or Low Country) vs Upcountry in the annual Capper encounters and for All-Ceylon as well. He captained the CR first in 1957 but had to give up due to a bugging knee injury for Ashey Cader to take over for the rest of the season. He captained the CR again in 1961 before hanging up his boots for good. He was also the President of the CR&FC in 1970 and was elected an Honorary Life Member in 1974.
It was in 1957 when he was temporarily compelled to stop playing due to injury that he began coaching his Alma Mater for four consecutive years. (1957-1960). There is no doubt that he was responsible in no small measure, (ably supported by that indefatigable and highly respected rugby Master-in-Charge Mr. M.T. Thmbapillai) in rekindling the embers of Royal rugby at that time flickering with uncertainty. The 1957 side he coached (led by star flanker Ratna Sivaratnam) marked the turning of the tide, so to speak, of Royal rugby, while the 1958 team (ably led by Dudley Fernando) progressed from the previous year to beat arch rivals Trinity to regain the coveted Bradby Shield after a lapse of seven years. Space will not permit me to set out in detail how it was achieved. Suffice it to say that Geoff paid constant attention on building confidence in his charges and developing strategies designed to get the better of our opponents. His pre-match talks to the teams just before his charges got on the field were masterpieces of motivation. The fact that in 1958 and 1959 the Royal line was crossed only once is a measure not only of the pool of talent available but also the remarkable ability of the supremo to hone and harness that talent. In his second coaching stint at Royal in 1968/9 this writer had the privilege and pleasure of assisting him. More than anything else it was a terrific learning experience; in particular, to get invaluable insights into how his strategic rugby mind worked.
When he took over in 1968 as coach of Royal Rugby for the second time, he had just returned from the UK, having been sent for further management exposure by his employer the Ceylon Oxygen Company where he worked as the Sales Manager. He had used his stay in the UK to learn more and more of rugby as well. The knowledge he gained abroad was more than evident in the manner he shaped the two very talented teams of 1968 and 1969, ably led by Chitranjan ‘Bulla’ de Silva and Harin Malwatte’ respectively.
Before Geoff emigrated to Australia after serving Ceylon Oxygens he had been in employment with the Canadian Aerial Survey; Shaw Walles & Hedges, where my teammate Nihal de Run had played mercantile ‘Sevens’ with him; and at Associated Motor Ways(AMW). Though living and working in Sydney Australia as an accountant his heart was in Sri Lanka. He never forsook his roots. He kept coming back to witness his Alma Mater at rugby and to catch up with his former team mates at the CR and in the Ceylon teams such as Mahesa Rodrigo, Devaka Rodrigo, Summa Navaratnam, Kavan Rambukwella et al and, of course, his former charges of the teams he served as coach, too numerous to mention here. They simply adored his company and showered him in ample measure reciprocal care and concern they themselves experienced when coached by him.
This writer had the good fortune of visiting Geoff in Sydney in 1996 along with teammate Rex Perera. He entertained us to drinks in his apartment at Ithaca Road, Elizabeth Bay before taking us across to Charing Cross for a sumptuous dinner and for a joyous time recalling our good old rugby days. In September/October 2017 too I visited him twice. But this time to the Elders’ Home where he was being professionally cared for. The first of these visits was in the company of Jayawardene brothers Sunil and Indrakumar who were coached by him and a former colleague of his at AMW, Lakshman Tilakaratna. On my second visit I went alone, the very next day, hoping to draw him out of his silence which we experienced the previous day. I sat with him for nearly an hour striving to draw out something from him by jogging his memory with matters, events and people familiar, and of interest to him such as the teams and players he coached at Royal, friends and teams he played with and against etc. All to no avail. When I got up to bid good-bye to him he stood up, too. I asked him why he stood up. His firm response to me was, verbatim, “I want to say a proper good bye to you!” while at the same time attempting to walk with me to the exit. I was, of course, cautioned by the nurse in charge not to allow him reach the exit. It was indeed a proper good bye, touching my shoulder, his voice firm and powerful and still ringing in my ear!
Geoff Weinman the superlative sportsman, genial personality, and mentor par excellence has moved on having played his part and touched our lives. His memory will surely be treasured by those whose lives he touched. Thank you Geoff for being a part of a rewarding and unforgettable relationship! For the goodness of you may you find just repose in your new Abode.
U L Kaluaratchch
Old Buddies of a Feather -Ashey Cader and Geoff Weinman
Geoff Weinman, wearing a thigh-guard, waiting to support Neville Leefe (No.7) who is about to receive the ball in an Up Country vs Colombo Game for the Capper Cup.
