Sri Lanka Rugby should help Kelani Valley Club to come back to the game

Source: MSN

Sri Lanka Rugby should help the historic Kelani ValleyClub to come back to the game, housed at Talduwa it has a history going back to 1884. The Kelani Valley (KV) at one time was a top rugby playing club. The KelaniValley Club (KV Club) is one of the oldest planter’s clubs . The club was established in 1885 by low-country Kelani Valley Planters who were mainly European settlers with F. Duncan as its first president. . They played the first match against Havelock SC . In 1950 the club was one of the original eight clubs which competed in the Clifford Cup with Kandy SC, Havelock SC, CH and FC, CR and FC, Dimbula A and CC, Dickoya MCC, Kelani Valley (KV) and Uva Gymkhana Club. The final placing of the inaugural league tournament read – 1. Havelock SC (P.7 – W.7 – D.0- L.0 – PF.100 – PA.06 – Points 14), 2. CH & FC (P..7 – W.6 -D.0 – L.1 -PF. 123 – PA.11 Points 12), 3. CR and FC, 4. Dimbula A and CC, 5. Kandy SC, 6. Uva Gymkhna Club, 7 Dickoya MCC and 8. Kelani Valley KV. Although the club never secured the cup during its playing history it did produce top players.

The club gradually grew from a conventional meeting place to be the centre of fashionable social life,relaxation, entertainment and interaction amongst the British Raj and planters.

The Kelani Valley (KV) Club house is a beautiful colonial style structure which blends perfectly with the picturesque surroundings of Talduwa. Most of the rugby players then were British planters. It was in 1931 that the saga of rugby Sevens was started at Muthuduwa grounds Ratnapura by a Welshman named K.E. Jenkins who was a ASP. As the years went by many of the local Planters joined the KV Club and from the 1950’s the club had some great players of the calibre of Lionel Almeida, the Rullacks (father and son), Keith Paul, Haren Mathou, Harold Schokman, Ranjith Ellagoda, Ken Balendra, Tyrell Muttiah, Ryan Howie, Baila Samarasinghe, Mahinda Ratwatte. Kolitha Gunathilake, Arjun Dharmadasa, Col. Sunil Ranasinghe, Air Commodore R.A.Dayapala and T.L. Jayawardane.