I was a 10 year old school boy in 1987 when I finished Basketball practices early that day at College and decided to walk in to the College grounds to watch a rugby match until my mum came to pick me.
This is where I first saw Collin as a rugby player wearing the Peterite 1st XV striped college jersey. Sooner or later I became a fan of Collin and few other players in that team. We had a click of friends who were my class mates and used to call them Rugger Ayyas.
In 1989, I was in year 8 where the classes are in the College section and the same year that Collin Captained the 1st XV team. Whenever I see him at College, I used walk up to him to tell him ‘Collin ayya well played’! This was like a big deal then ….speaking to your college Rugby captain as a 12 year old who doesn’t know him personally or played rugby in junior level. He always made a point to respond back with his slight grin saying ‘Thank you Malli’.
Gradually Collin became a hero in College with his playing style and place kicking where the ball was placed on wet sand as the kicking tees were not invented then.
I was living in Wellawatte and only went to see rugby matches played at the college grounds. So whenever there are matches at College grounds in Bambalapitiya, we used to go to the grounds early at 2.30 even before the prefects start to man the gates and sell tickets to save ticket money (one rupee).
Once the 1st XV game is about to start, me and my friends used to move towards the touchline where they had a small gap for the teams to enter the playing area though rope barricade just to say ‘Collin ayya good luck’ and tap him on shoulder (which is little beyond reach as he was taller) and he always look at us and puts a grin which was a thank you in other words. We even did this after every home game and made it a point to say ‘Collin Ayya well played’ whether the College won the match or lost.
Then came the most memorable match I watched in 1989. This was at Henry Pedris park, Colombo 5 even though I told my parents that the match was at college. It was the Isipathana game where we won 4-0. Collin was the play maker of that game putting his punts, grubbers and working the ball down the line as a fly half.
The time moved on and Collin started his club career at Petersons SC where the Cooray Park Wellawatte was their home grounds. They were known as the Local All blacks because of the black jersey and was the home for many Peterite rugby players of that era who even captained the club many years. I still remember Collin played alongside with his brothers Roy and Kishore and he captained the Petersons Club in the year 1992.
Later Collin moved to England with his brother Kishore and Mervin in the year 2000 where he represented the Old Peterite Rugby team for many years at the Sri Lankan rugby 7s in London.
I bumped in to Collin after a long time at Joe-Pete big match in the year 2006 and I got to know he is the Assisting coach of the College 1st XV team under Mr. Sanath Martis.
This was the year that St.Peter’s College rugby team won the double Championship for the first time and won the President’s trophy after 1995 which brought tears to many Peterites at Royal Complex in that final against Kingswood.
He also managed ‘Shashi’s café’- the nice boutique ‘ fast food shop down Marine drive, Wellawatte which was named in the memory of his youngest brother Shashi who died under tragic circumstances in 1991 after getting hit by a passing train right opposite Collin’s family house down Lilly Avenue, Wellawatte. Even though he was proprietor of the Shashi’s food café, he made it a point to be there every afternoon and evenings to serve his customers who came in there for takeaways or dine in.
Collin soon became Peterite Rugby player’s guardian to look in to their meals and sometimes even by hosted the boys for meals at his Café after the games.
His passion for coaching took him to Australia in the year 2008 to attend an Australian Rugby Union level 2 coaching workshop in Sydney.
Whether the match was in College or away, for every 1st a XV rugby game he always wore the Peterite Rugby t’shirt with his signature Designer Sunglasses.
After knowing him for so long, I never saw an emotional side of until the Trinity – St. Peter’s game in the year 2008 at Pallakale, Kandy where the Peterite team under Poornaka Delpachithra won that close battle 15 – 10. When the celebrations were continuing in the middle with the supporters and the team, I walked up to Collin who was walking along the touchlines to congratulate him. At a glance I only can see him looking down with his left hand covering his eyes. For a second, I couldn’t believe my eyes after I saw Collin crying out loud for the joy for the Victory. Once player, a captain now a part of a coaching team which won their match against Trinity in Kandy will definitely be the happiest to tear.
For the last 2 years the Peterites didn’t have their long-standing coach Sanath Martis who has moved to take over the task of assistant coach of the national rugby team. His loyal deputy for many years, Collin Denish took over the reins as the Head coach last year. He was very confident that the team would bring back their lost glory with good results and proved it right in his very first game when the Peterites buried Kingswood 69-5 in front of their home crowd at Bamba and winning 6 matches last season consecutively even after his star player (Danushka Ranjan) was injured. On behalf all other old Peterites, let me wish my one time rugby idol and now a friend Collin all the very best as the Head Coach of the 1st XV Peterite Rugby team.
ThePapare.com also learnt that Collin Denish celebrated his Birth Day on the 17th of February. The Peterites 1st XV team treated their coach in style winning the All Island 7’s title beating Isipathana with a second half rally (12-10).
Picture credit – Dhammika Heenpella
