In a breathtaking final-week clash that went right down to the wire, St. Joseph’s College emerged victorious over a gallant Wariyapola Sri Sumangala College side, clinching the Plate Championship of the Dialog Schools Rugby League 2026. Played in front of a packed and vocal crowd at the historic Bogambara Stadium in Kandy, the table-topping Josephians survived a massive second-half scare to secure a narrow 31-26 victory in a game that will be remembered as one of the most dramatic encounters of the season.
From the opening whistle, the visitors made their intentions crystal clear, signalling their championship pedigree with an early offensive thrust that yielded the first points of the match. Furthermore, the hosts, Sri Sumangala, were immediately put on the back foot after receiving a yellow card for foul play. Despite the early setback, Sri Sumangala responded with a fierce attack, but their efforts came to nothing as a handling error resulted in a knock-on. St. Joseph’s winger Hirusha Manahara seized the opportunity, scooping up the loose ball before exploiting a gap in the defence. He sprinted deep into the opposition half and crossed the whitewash to draw first blood. Bryan Fernando added the extras with ease from in front of the posts. (SJC 07-00 SSC)
However, the spirited Sri Sumangala brigade, feeding off the electric energy of the home crowd, refused to be intimidated. Unfortunately for St. Joseph’s, second-row forward Satheera Gunathilake was shown a yellow card for foul play. With the numerical advantage, Sri Sumangala launched an attack from a five-metre lineout, setting up a rolling maul. Although the Josephian forwards initially held firm, they were eventually penalised for collapsing the maul. Sri Sumangala opted for a quick tap and continued the assault. After several powerful phases, the hosts’ towering No. 8, Tharusha Dilshan, crashed over for their opening try. Fly-half Maleesha Karunathilake produced an excellent conversion to level the scores. (SJC 07-07 SSC)
- Isipathana reclaim Milroy Fernando Trophy with dominant victory over Royal
- Isipathana keeps unbeaten streak with a thrilling win over Sri Sumanagala
- Royal College Stuns Ill-Disciplined Wesley in Second-Half Surge to Clinch a Brilliant Victory
The next passage of play was fiercely contested, with neither side able to add to the scoreboard. On the stroke of half-time, the visitors earned a scrum inside the Sri Sumangala 22. The hosts were penalised for lifting the scrum, allowing St. Joseph’s to take a quick tap and gain valuable metres. They patiently built through several phases with a combination of set-piece ball and short passes before skipper Inosh Silva took matters into his own hands. Too powerful to stop, he brushed off several defenders and crossed the line with ease. Bryan Fernando converted comfortably to extend the lead. (SJC 14-07 SSC)
The converted try gave the Josephians a crucial seven-point cushion, shifting the psychological momentum in their favour as the teams headed into the sheds.
Half-time: St. Joseph’s College 14 (2T, 2C) – 07 (1T, 1C) Wariyapola Sri Sumangala College
The early stages of the second half belonged entirely to St. Joseph’s. They emerged from the break with renewed intensity, dominating both possession and territory. Manahara fielded a clearance kick from the hosts and produced an excellent counter-attack, gaining valuable metres. As he was tackled, he offloaded to Candappa, who carried play close to the 22-metre line. The backline then moved the ball swiftly before Dion Fernando spotted a gap and burst through. The Sri Sumangala cover defence had no answer as he crossed the whitewash, restoring St. Joseph’s momentum with a brilliant start to the second half. (SJC 19-07 SSC)
A few minutes later, the relentless Josephians marched back into Sri Sumangala territory. The hosts were twice penalised for offside at the defensive line, allowing St. Joseph’s to launch another sustained attack built around pick-and-drives and short passes. The relentless pressure eventually disorganised the home defence, enabling skipper Inosh Silva to crash over for the bonus-point try with assistance from his latchers. To compound Sri Sumangala’s misery, the referee produced another yellow card for repeated infringements. (SJC 24-07 SSC)
At that stage, it appeared the table-toppers were on course for a comfortable victory. However, once Sri Sumangala returned to their full complement of 15 players, they looked like a rejuvenated side and launched a remarkable comeback. Ashen Karunathilake burst through a gap in midfield and sprinted clear with a superb running angle. Just before grounding the ball, he was tackled dangerously around the neck, leaving the referee with no option but to send Shanelka to the sin bin. A penalty try was awarded. (SJC 24-14 SSC)
The penalty try and numerical advantage completely shifted the momentum in favour of the hosts. They stormed into Josephian territory and unleashed wave after wave of forward play. After advancing to within five metres, they shifted the ball to the backs, where a brilliant sidestep created space for inside centre Maleesha Karunathilake to cut through for another try. However, Sri Sumangala failed to convert, a miss that would later prove significant. (SJC 24-19 SSC)
With back-to-back scores, Sri Sumangala looked unstoppable. From the restart, they worked the ball wide, allowing openside winger Masith Induwara to find a huge gap in the defence. Displaying dazzling footwork and blistering pace, he evaded a host of defenders before diving over beneath the posts to level the scores. Maleesha Karunathilake added the simple conversion, completing a sensational comeback and giving Sri Sumangala the lead for the first time in the match with just two and a half minutes remaining. (SJC 24-26 SSC)
From the restart, St. Joseph’s responded brilliantly. They regained possession after the hosts were penalised for holding on. The Josephian forwards immediately took control, patiently driving towards the try line through a series of powerful pick-and-drives. Eventually, second-row forward Satheera Gunathilake forced his way over, swinging the pendulum back in St. Joseph’s favour. Adriyanco Candappa then added the conversion to seal a memorable victory. (SJC 31-26 SSC)
The final whistle sounded shortly afterwards, confirming a dramatic 31-26 victory and sparking jubilant celebrations among the St. Joseph’s players and supporters. While Wariyapola Sri Sumangala College will undoubtedly rue the late errors that denied them a famous victory, they can hold their heads high after producing a heroic and spirited comeback. For St. Joseph’s College, it was a fitting display of grit and resilience, sealing the Plate Championship in a classic Kandy rugby thriller.
Full-time: St. Joseph’s College 31 (5T, 3C) – 26 (4T, 3C) Wariyapola Sri Sumangala College
- Swisstek Perfect Player of the Match – Inosh Silva (St. Joseph’s College)
Scorecard in Brief
St. Joseph’s College – 31
Hirusha Manahara 1T, Inosh Silva 2T, Dion Fernando 1T, Sathira Gunathilake 1T, Bryan Fernando 2C, Adriyanco Candappa 1C
Sri Sumanagala College, Kandy – 26
Tharusha Dilshan 1T, Masith Induwara1T, Maleesha Karunathilake 1T, 2C, Penalty try,
- Match Referee – Kelum Sandaruwan
