Defending champions Kandy Sports Club closed out the first round in emphatic fashion, running in a thumping 62–17 victory over Sri Lanka Army in their Week 11 Maliban Inter-Club ‘A’ Division Rugby League 2025/26 encounter at the Army Grounds in Panagoda.
Sri Lanka Army hosted Kandy Sports Club in their final fixture of the first round, but it was the visitors who struck early to seize control. A poor Army clearance was fielded by the experienced Srinath Sooriyabandara, who chose to counter, beating three defenders before offloading neatly to winger Gayan Perera. Perera stepped inside the last defender to score the opening try, with Hirusha Sampath adding the extras.(Army 00-07 Kandy)
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The pressure continued to mount on the hosts when a handling error inside their own five-metre zone handed Kandy prime attacking territory. From the resulting scrum, Kandy struck immediately as Sooriyabandara executed a slick scissors pass to Diluksha Dange, whose perfectly timed running line sliced through the defence for another try. Sampath converted, and moments later Kandy’s forwards joined the party, powering over from a rolling maul after a kick to the corner, with Kenula Hettiarachchi grounding the ball at the back of the drive. (Army 00-19 Kandy)
Army finally found their rhythm after 16 minutes, grinding through more than 20 phases of pick-and-drive rugby before Buddi Sreemantha muscled his way past the Kandy defence to open the hosts’ account. (Army 05-19 Kandy)
Any hopes of a comeback were short-lived. Kandy responded instantly when Sampath spotted space in behind the Army backfield and chipped ahead. Gayan Perera won the footrace to collect and score his second try, securing the bonus point before the break.
On the final play of the half, Kandy struck once more. A late charge earned them a penalty, and their rolling maul marched deep into Army territory before the ball was shifted wide. Sooriyabandara showed his class once again, stepping off both feet to beat two defenders and cross for his second try, capping a dominant first-half display by the visitors.
Half Time: Sri Lanka Army 05 (1T) – Kandy SC 29 (5T,2C)
Kandy resumed the second half exactly as they had finished the first, dictating terms from the outset. From a line-out near halfway, Srinath Sooriyabandara once again created the opening, releasing winger Kavindu Perera into space. Perera drew the final defender before sending Heshan Jansen under the posts, with Hirusha Sampath adding the conversion. (Army 05-36 Kandy)
The situation worsened for the hosts when hooker Nalin Kumara was shown a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on, denying a certain try as Kandy’s rolling maul gathered momentum on the five-metre line. With the infringement preventing a clear scoring opportunity, the referee had little hesitation in awarding a penalty try. (Army 05-43 Kandy)
Despite being a man down, Army showed resilience and struck back through sustained pressure in the Kandy red zone. After several quick phases, prop Chamara Jayawickrama powered his way over from close range, with Gawraya Pannila converting. (Army 12-43 Kandy)
Kandy, however, capitalised on Army errors soon after. Attempting to run the ball out from their own in-goal area, the hosts spilled possession, allowing Aruna Perera to pounce before shifting the ball wide. Gayan Perera finished clinically in the corner to complete his hat-trick. (Army 12-48 Kandy)
Moments later, Kandy struck again as Sooriyabandara chipped delicately over the defensive line. Aruna Perera won the chase to ground the ball, and Sampath’s conversion further underlined Kandy’s control of the contest. (Army 12-55 Kandy)
Kandy put the finishing touches on a commanding performance with one final forward-driven effort. Sustained pressure and powerful carries wore down the Army defence before replacement prop Udara Dias muscled his way over the line. Aruna Perera capped off the move with an excellent conversion from a difficult angle. (Army 12-62 Kandy)
Army managed a late consolation try through Nalin Kumara on the final play of the match, but it did little to dent Kandy’s dominance as the visitors sealed a comprehensive victory.The win sees Kandy Sports Club conclude the first round in second place, just one point behind league leaders CR & FC, as the Maliban Inter-Club ‘A’ Division Rugby League moves into the Super Round next week
Full Time: Sri Lanka Army 17 (3T,1C) – Kandy SC 62 (10T,6C)
Swisstek Player of the Match: Srinath Sooriyabandara (Kandy SC)
Points Breakdown
Sri Lanka Army 17
Buddi Sreemantha 1T, Chamara Jayawickrama 1T , Nalin Kumara 1T, Gawraya Pannila 1C
Kandy SC 62
Gayan Perera 3T, Srinath Sooriyabandara 2T, Heshan Jansen 1T, Kenula Hettiarachchi 1T, Udara Dias 1T ,Penalty Try , Aruna Perera 1T, 1C, Hirusha Sampath 5C
