CR & FC to mark centenary year with series of events

by A Special Sports Correspondent

Ceylonese Rugby & Football Club (CR&FC), also known as the Longden Place Club, has elaborate plans to celebrate its 100 years of existence which falls this year. The club plans to have a series of events covering a period from September 25, 2022 to September 24, 2023.

The club was started in 1922 by Colonel E.H Joseph and was dedicated to serving the people of Sri Lanka. Back then the handful of other clubs that were operating then were open exclusively for Europeans stationed here in the island.

CR & FC President Ted Muttiah speaking at a press conference organised in connection with the occasion and held at the Old Pavilion said how excited he was about the event and added that all the achievements by CR & FC was possible due to the passionate support of the club’s membership; now numbering over 1100. He reminded the audience about the manner in which the club had grown from strength to strength over the years and offers its members and the public to engage in 10 sports.

Centenary Committee Chairman Jehan CanagaRetna speaking at the occasion briefed the media about the Centenary Year Celebrations which include the hosting of a seven-a-side rugby tournament apart from having a host of other events like a Centenary Rock-in Music Festival, Sri Lanka Rugby Legends Get-together, the Scrum and Tackle Dinner Dance, the 100th Year Christmas Celebrations and the release of a Coffee Table Book.

Dilroy Fernando, the Tournament Director of the upcoming rugby sevens, said that the club plans to get the blessings of Sri Lanka Rugby, the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association and Asian Rugby for the tournament. The tournament will feature 26 school teams and two other segments for men and women as well. Fernando said that the organisers have plans to invite club teams from India and Thailand for the men’s rugby sevens event. The Centenary Rugby Sevens Tournament is scheduled to be held from April 7-9 in the year 2023.