Dushantha Lewke for Kandy SC

Published : 9:55 am  June 28, 2012 |  One comment  |     |   (20)  |  

Sri Lanka’s crack No. 8 Dushantha Lewke will turn out for the defending League champions Kandy Sports Club in the forthcoming Dialog inter club rugby season.

This was disclosed by the Rugby chairman of Kandy Sports Club Lasantha Wijesuriya.

Dushantha Lewke son of the famous ruggerite cum boxer former Inspector General of Police Nimal Lewke started his rugby career at Royal College, Colombo when he represented the school from 1999 to 2002. He was a member of the Royal College rugby team which has the highest aggregate in the Bradby Shield winning 83-0 in 2002. They beat Trinity College 39-0 in the first leg and did even better in the second leg winning 44-0.

His excellent performance for the school won him a place in the national side which played in the Junior World Cup in Chile in 2001. Thereafter he has been an automatic choice for the national team. He probably holds the record as the most capped ruggerite having represented the country over 25 times.

He has been in the staring line and plays the full game and has never been replaced during a game in an international match which speaks

volumes about his physical fitness and endurance at a top level.

He turned out for CH&FC from 2003 to 2005 and played for Kandy Sports Club 2006 to 2008 – The Club where his father Nimal started his rugby career.

He played for CR & FC from 2009 to 2011 and captaining the club in his last two years which is a rare achievement at the Longdon Place Club where only two others have done this. They are Indrajith Coomarasamy and Pavithra Fernando. At the same time he also continued to play for the national team.

Dushantha Lewke is a graduate in Business Management from Edithoo University in Australia and played for Spottswoods United. He also represented Paranati Sports Club which had two All Blacks players in Chris Masouni and the present hooker of the sevens team Andrew Hore.

He also underwent training at the Paranateka Rugby Academy under one time All Blacks coach David Gray.

Dushantha Lewke is a qualified Strength and Conditioning Coachwhich he qualified abroad.

He is not new to Kandy and his father Nimal has his roots in the hill capital and took Kandy Sports Club to the high spot of becoming unbeaten triple champions in 1997 which is yet to be surpassed by any club. The captain of Kandy SC that year was Lasantha Wijesuriya who is now Rugby Chairman of the Club.

With Dushantha Lewke back in the Kandy team, it will give the club the much needed power and thrust to the forwards.

He is presently the strength and conditioning coach of Royal College and also the junior rugby coach.

By U J Jezeem