At the beginning of 2007 it seemed like any other season of school rugby, commencing with training, followed by inter-house matches with a mix of under XVIII and 1st XV players. At these matches the coaches picked hidden talent to form a formidable team.We were made aware that due to the wealth of talent available the coaches had difficulty in selecting the team of fifteen.For the team eventually selected,it was all toil and sweat,commencing with punctuality and daily attendance.Everything suffered.Our studies,social life and everything else.For us it was only rugger,rugger and rugger. Nothing was gratifying or more honourable than representing one’s Alma-Mater.

We played a few friendly matches, helping to identify our strengths and weaknesses.Our training was enriched with our coach arranging and funded by a generous batch of old Royalists,a camp conducted by a reputed organization.The one-day training camp,focused on task achievement,cohesion,effective communication,skill development, right attitudes, conflict solution,confidence building and unselfish team performance.

The above were put to the test at the Sumithriarachi Trophy first leg in Kandy.We were thrashed 15-0 with our players scarred,injured,left disillusioned and prop forward Dilen Perera,with a dislocated shoulder.This was less painful than letting down our coach,fellow Royalists,young and old, and our Alma-Mater.The dressing room was a sorry sight.It was like curfew had been imposed.We didn’t have the guts to step out of our dressing room for guilt and fear of facing the coaches whom we let down, who believed in us and toiled so hard until this match.Happily, the positive that came out of this calamity was that the cohesiveness and team spirit had not dimmed.All took the blame,collectively and no one blamed each other for the lapses.While we didn’t reasonably expect any one to have any more trust in us,our coach and we, had overwhelming trust in each other. We were not willing to take things lying down.This experience,which was new and invaluable, in my three years of Royal rugby,laid the foundation for regaining the Thambapillai and Sumithriarachi Trophies,in the following two weeks.It helped us to perform miracles and achieve things,we would otherwise not have.

The loss,we later realized,was a blessing in disguise.The team unity was at it’s peak and got our adrenalin flowing.We rallied together like never before with every member,irrespective of injuries,fitness,social commitment or whatever, attending practices,punctually and regularly.This continued for the next two weeks.The whole team drank, ate,t ravelled, breathed and slept,with only one mission in mind.First the Thambapillai and then the Sumithriarachi Trophies.

Beating the Thomians 15-7 was a prelude of things to follow in the 2nd leg and helped to reinstate the belief in ourselves.It set up the ideal launching pad.The momentum carried right up to the Sumithriarachi Trophy 2nd leg.

And so came judgment day.That 23rd June is the most memorable and unforgettable day in my life,for being part of a team that believed in the impossible,while everybody else felt otherwise,it enhanced our self confidence.The Royal dressing room was a mixture of passion, eagerness,determination and pain of the scars left behind after the 1st leg in Kandy.The stands were packed to capacity with spectators,as we raced to the middle of what looked like to us, a battle field.

The whistle was blown and so began the battle to quench our thirst for victory. The thought that our team [which obviously includes the tireless and dynamic two Coaches] were the only ones who believed we could make it,made our task all the more harder.We made use of every opportunity created to inch closer to that Trinity line.Within the first fifteen minutes our prop forward Dilen Perera,now with the dislocated shoulder strapped,drew first blood. Aggregate Score -Trinity 15,Royal 5.This told of things to come and raised our spirits.Asif Akram followed up with penalty.Aggregate Score -Trinity 15,Royal 8. The Royal supporters were ignited by this and sensing a great Royal fight back,cheered vociferously throughout the second half.This pumped us up still further.The 2nd half seemed harder than the first.We were pinned down to our 25 meter area for a good fifteen minutes. It was amazing the way we fought like terriers,defending our goal line against the marauding lions.Finally we broke free in the last ten minutes and made sure we converted the opportunities into points,with the Captain,Hamza Hassen bulldozing his way through the Trinity defense,earning us a well deserved five points. Aggregate Score - Trinity 15, Royal 13.With time ticking by and running into injury time and the referee announcing the last move,we were left with the unfinished mission.A do-or-die battle ensued.

Royal wins the vital last scrum with the ball moving from scrumhalf to fly-half, first-centre,second-centre and fullback Shamil Ahamad overlapping,side-stepping and whizzing past and crashing over the goal-line,dragging two desperate Trinity defenders with him.Royal- 18,Trinity -15.The sound of the referee’s whistle was sweet music in our ears.

AND WE HAD WON!! YES!!!! NOT ONLY THE MATCH, BUT ALSO THE TROPHY AND THAT TOO AFTER SEVEN LONG YEARS AND ONE COULD IMAGINE THE DELIGHT!!! HELL BROKE LOOSE AND CELEBRATIONS COMMENCED.

We had performed what all conceded was a MIRACLE!!!!!In contrast to the Kandy match, tears of joy flowed down the cheeks of the whole team which included the indispensible guiding lights,our very own Mr.Bilal Yusuf and Mr.Shamil Mohamed,old Royalist ruggerites of no mean repute of the recent past and performers of many heroics for their school.

I,wish to conclude with the encouraging words of our Coach Mr.Bilal Yusuf.If you all play your hearts out,I guarantee, you will walk out with the Trophy"