Trinity College capped off a flawless 2026 campaign with a commanding 39-10 victory over Royal College in the second leg of the 80th Bradby Shield at the Trinity College Rugby Stadium in Pallekele. The Lions secured the coveted shield with an emphatic 72-20 aggregate triumph, completing an unforgettable unbeaten season in which they swept the Dialog Schools Rugby League title, Dialog Schools Rugby Knockouts President’s Trophy , and the Bradby Shield.
A packed Trinity College Rugby Stadium in Pallekele provided the perfect backdrop for the second leg of the 80th Bradby Shield as the hosts entered the contest with a commanding 23-point advantage from the first leg. With an unbeaten season and a historic treble within touching distance, Trinity looked to finish the job as Royal Playmaker Kavindu Hewage kicked off proceedings.
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Trinity stamped their authority on the contest from the outset, earning an early penalty at the breakdown. Skipper Shan Althaf opted for the posts and made no mistake, splitting the uprights to hand the hosts an early 3-0 lead.
The home side continued to dictate proceedings with a high-tempo attacking game and were rewarded with another penalty after Royal were penalised at the breakdown. Althaf was once again clinical from the tee, extending Trinity’s advantage.
Trinity’s sustained pressure finally produced the opening try just before the interval. A slick move began with Nisith Kumarasinghe releasing fellow flanker Hamza Abdeen, who burst beyond the gain line into the Royal 10-metre area. Quick recycling from scrum-half Udan Wijekoon allowed the ball to reach Evin Jayasena, who beat a couple of defenders before diving over for the try. Amher Faizal added an excellent conversion from the touchline to give Trinity a deserved cushion at half-time.
Half Time: Trinity College 13 (1T,1C,2P) – Royal College 00
Royal responded positively after the restart. Awarded a five-metre scrum, the visitors displayed impressive patience as their forwards carried relentlessly through more than 15 phases of pick-and-drive play. Their persistence paid off when skipper Disas Pathirana powered over from close range.
Trinity responded immediately. Working the blindside from a scrum, Wijekoon found Althaf, who shrugged off an attempted tackle before drawing the final defender and sending Amher Faizal through untouched beneath the posts. Althaf converted to restore Trinity’s comfortable advantage.
The hosts then began to pull away. Crisp handling across the backline stretched the Royal defence, creating space for Maduranga De Silva, who produced a superb inside step to wrong-foot the cover defence before racing away for Trinity’s third try. Althaf added the extras.
Trinity’s confidence continued to grow as another sweeping attack saw Althaf fire a long pass to Minula Yaddehige, who surged down the touchline before returning the ball inside to his skipper. Althaf crossed with ease, while Faizal produced another excellent conversion from the corner.
The home side were far from finished. After stealing a Royal lineout inside the visitors’ 10-metre line, Trinity’s forwards mounted a series of powerful carries before Achintha Jayasena exploited the blindside to crash over and further underline the hosts’ dominance.
Royal had the final say in the closing moments when Pathirana took a quick tap penalty five metres from the line and powered over for his second try of the afternoon. It proved little more than a consolation, however, as Trinity sealed a comprehensive victory to reclaim the prestigious Bradby Shield.
The victory completed a remarkable unbeaten 2026 season for Trinity College, who secured a historic treble by winning the Dialog Schools Rugby League, Dialog Schools Rugby Knockouts President’s Trophy and the 80th Bradby Shield.
Full Time: Trinity College 39 (5T,4C,2P) – Royal College 10 (2T)
80th Bradby Shield Aggregate: Trinity College 72 (10T,8C,2P) – Royal College 20 (3T,1C,1P)
Swisstek Perfect Player of the Match: Shan Althaf (Trinity College)
Points Breakdown
Trinity College 39
Evin Jayasena 1T, Maduranga De Silva 1T, Achintha Jayasena 1T, Shan Althaf 1T,2C,2P, Amher Faizal 1T,2C
Royal College: 10
Disas Pathirana 2T
