Isipathana College clinched the President’s Trophy after a nail-biting 12–9 victory over Trinity College, sealed with a dramatic last-minute try, to successfully defend their title in the Dialog Schools Rugby Knockouts 2025 final at the Royal Complex.
Defending champions Isipathana College kicked off the final with attacking intent, dominating the early exchanges. Trinity suffered an early setback when centre Sadeesha Weerawansa was shown a yellow card for tackling a player off the ball, giving Isipathana a temporary numerical advantage.
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Isipathana launched a dangerous attack from a lineout around the 50-meter mark. Tighthead prop Lahiru Herath burst through the Trinity defensive line with a powerful run, gaining over 30 meters before being brought down by a high tackle. Opting for a quick tap, Isipathana moved the ball swiftly through their backs, playing a few structured phases. Playmaker Thenuka De Costa sold a clever dummy and broke through before offloading to inside centre Adithya Madushan, who finished the move by diving over for the opening try. Avishka Hiran added the extras with a successful conversion. (TCK 00–07 IC)
Trinity responded immediately after the restart, capitalizing on an Isipathana penalty. Fly-half Shan Altaf calmly slotted it through the uprights to reduce the deficit. Moments later, he added another three-pointer, turning the contest into a tense one-point game. (TCK 06–07 IC)
Trinity came close to taking the lead with a series of powerful pick-and-drive phases deep inside Isipathana’s 22, but the ball was spilled at a crucial moment just short of the try line. Isipathana, too, had a golden opportunity just before halftime, but the Trinity defense held strong, sending both teams into the break with the defending champions clinging to a slender lead.
Half-time: Trinity College 06 (2P) – Isipathana College 07 (1T, 1C)
Isipathana College dominated the opening 15 minutes of the second half, mounting sustained pressure inside Trinity’s half. However, the Lions’ defense stood tall, repelling multiple attacks and denying the Green Machine any points. Isipathana eventually opted to go for the posts, but Avishka Hiran’s attempt was off target.
Trinity was then reduced to 14 men when Disal Thomas was shown a yellow card for an offside infringement following repeated team penalties. Isipathana again chose to go for points, but the outcome remained the same as the kick sailed wide. Nimantha Sandeepa was handed kicking duties afterward, but he too couldn’t convert, leaving Isipathana frustrated.
Momentum soon swung toward Trinity when Isipathana’s hooker Kaveen Jayasinghe was shown a yellow card for biting—a costly disciplinary lapse. With the advantage, Trinity earned a kickable penalty, but Shan Altaf couldn’t find the target. He made amends a few minutes later with a superbly struck drop goal that split the uprights, giving Trinity their first lead of the match. (TCK 09–07 IC)
Isipathana continued to earn penalties in the final stages, but their kicking woes persisted as Hiran missed another chance to reclaim the lead. Trinity looked poised to pull off a remarkable upset, but in the dying moments, Isipathana were awarded one final penalty. Choosing to keep the ball in hand, they executed a series of pick-and-go phases before spreading the ball wide. Fly-half Avishka Hiran threw a brilliant offload into the path of Yuvindu Kodithuwakku, who hit a sharp angle and powered through three defenders to dive over for the match-winning try.
With that last-gasp effort, Isipathana College successfully defended their title, clinching the Dialog Schools Rugby Knockouts President’s Trophy for a record 13th time.
Full Time: Trinity College 09 (3P) – Isipathana College 12 (2T,1C)
Swisstek Player of the Match: Sethum Rajapaksha (Isipathana College)
Points Breakdown
Trinity College 09
Shan Altaf 2P,1DG
Isipathana College 12
Adithya Madushan 1T, Yuvindu Kodithuwakku 1T, Avishka Hiran 1C
