The tradition between Trinity and Zahira on and off the rugby park

The tradition between Trinity and Zahira on and off the Rugby park

Four schools were the pioneer institutions to play our beloved game that has grown in stature today and has not only built passion but even an attitude of school before nation, including many old boys chit-chat after the match and commercial value of players of this day and age almost sky rocketing.

Kingswood, Trinity. Zahira and Royal belong to that era of pioneers of schools rugby.

Trinity was a Lions den up in the hills. In the yesteryear to beat Trinity was not only herculean task, but the Margin of defeat reads a cricket score against most opposition.

Today, we all know the Bradby is the blue ribbon of Rugby , but why was not a similar trophy thought of between two traditional rivals, namely Trinity and Zahira , who turn the clock back to the 1920 ‘s ? The answer is blowing in the wind.

Trinity was so dominant that the humour of their winning margin was spelt as a school of thought to read as TRINITY score ….vs Zahira.

Trinity was known for their flashy open rugby even in the yesteryears. They hated body contact because not only their three-quarter line,even their forwards were too nimble footed.

Zahira, on a fateful August evening, for Trinity created history at Bogambara to stun the rugby fraternity and silence the Trinity rugby song,sung always at matches in a choir music style as per the appended words.

” The shadows are falling around me , I hear like the roar from the sea , and in the pavilion, there cheering your winning well played TRINITY ” .

This song came to a stand still when Zahira, on August 1926 , shut the red blue and golden Jerseys to a standstill beating the Lions in their own den by 8 points to nil.

Big question: What was Zahira and her secret ? They used their heavy forwards and scored within the first 5 minutes using their heavy number 8 Lebbe Marikar to touch down. That was a dream start. The heavy forwards from that fantastic Zahira outfit simply outshone the Trinity forwards, tackled their Nimble footed three-quarter line , and led 5 nil at the breather , and also scored just before the final whistle by winning the historic encounter by 8 points to nil.

Unlike in this day and age , results were published through the print media only the next day.

We were called Ceylon at that time. The rugby fraternity in Ceylon all around the island were shell-shocked reading the headlines sports news the next morning that Zahira Maradana had beaten Trinity 8 nil. Zahira pulled a rabbit out of the hat.

These are the memories that linger to infinity between two great institutions that played rugby as a gentleman’s game with the spirit of Rugby being play fair , leaving the battle in the park and the comradie after the match for a life time.

The players of both Trinity and Zahira in the 1926 team are not among the living but the legacy they leave behind lives forever.