Sri Lanka Air Force’s Suranga Arunashantha has established himself in rugby sevens. He is one of those rugby players the village produced, thanks to the programme by the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) to spread the gospel of rugby island wide.

The country has seen his exploits in the abbreviated form of rugby union in reputed tournaments like the Hong Kong Sevens and the Commonwealth Games. Anyone watching him play will notice that substantial efforts have been taken by his gurus to teach him the basics of rugby without which a journey this far could never have been achieved in an equally short period.

Gone seem the days when villagers came to Colombo and depended on coaches here to teach them ‘perfect rugby.’ Arunashantha, who hails from Thalduwa in Avisawella, is a product of the same rugby system that produces the country’s best players. As a result he was able to play ‘A’ Division rugby the same year he joined Air Force. That was in year 2001.

It might sound strange to folks in Colombo, but Arunashantha told ‘Sunday Island – Sportstar’ that rugby was one of the sports he tried his luck at when a kid in his village.

"I was a student of Thalduwa Buddhist School and there, kids had the opportunity to play rugby. I have been coached by renowned rugby personalities like Priyantha Guneratne (Tiger), Beauty Guneratne and B.K.Ramachandran. I have an inspiring told to tell in rugby," is how Arunashantha began relating his success story in rugby in an interview with this writer which was done at the Royal College Sports Complex stadium, just after the ‘airman’ had finished a hard session with the national sevens rugby players.

Arunashantha had learned the rudiments of rugby at Thalduwa Buddhist School and later crossed over to Seethawaka College in Avissawella.

"I excelled at rugby and opportunities to study and play rugby for a Colombo schools emerged as I progressed as a school rugby player. But I didn’t have the necessary qualifications to join these schools because I didn’t have the required marks to remain in school and pursue studies for the Advanced Level Examination. I too had a dream of playing rugby for a Colombo school but destiny had other ideas. I quit my studies after O’levels and stated work as a field officer in the plantation trade," recalled Arunashantha.

He recalled memories of having captained the Sabaragamuwa Provincial teams in the under 13, 15, 17 and 19 age groups and what’s amazing is all those teams were victorious.

He also had the habit of frequenting the Kelani Valley Club and playing tap rugby in the evenings. A unique feature that highlights his career is that he got the opportunity to represent Kelani Valley Club at the domestic rugby sevens while at school.

His focus has always been on sevens rugby. So when the call came for him to join the Air Force, he along with five other members of the Kelani Valley Club team joined Air Force in 2001. In 2003, Air Force won the Plate Championships Trophy at the inter-club sevens and the six who came from Kelani Valley Club featured prominently in the champion Air Force team.

He loves sevens rugby and said he benefited from the specialized training such rugby offers, which, he said, raised speed and endurance in players.

"I liked the way George Simpkins trained us for rugby sevens. He was hell bent on raising the standard of fitness in the players. This paid rich dividends because the teams he coached produced results with the highlight being Sri Lanka’s victory against United States at the 2006 Hong Kong Sevens. I like it when the going gets tough in rugby sevens because it brings out the best in me," he said.

The Commonwealth Games in 2006 gave him a tremendous outing to remember.

"I knew nothing about the star players in teams like New Zealand, England and Australia. I think me being naive about foreign players helped me because I was never overawed by their presence. For me the only stars I knew were the ones in local rugby like Nalaka Weerakkody and Sanjeewa Jayasinghe and I was even ready to outrun them and tackle them. My approach to rugby has not changed one bit even after a couple of tours with the national team," said the 27-year-old.

He also had the opportunity of representing Sri Lanka at the Hong Kong Sevens in 2009 and said that the magnitude of the event was an unforgettable experience.

"The atmosphere was electrifying and everything around seemed strange to me but when I warmed up, my mind instantly focused on the game. Being able to concentrate at the task at hand is one of my strong points as a sportsman," he said.

He said he observed the players of other countries during international tournaments and added, "two key features that standout in them are that they listen to music before a game and relax. They also carry loads of nutritional supplements where ever they go. One needs a lot of nutrition to play top class rugby."

He is happy when he looks back at how rugby sevens has shaped his life and provided him with opportunities. The village lad is a regular whenever the national sevens pool is formed. However, he had to be satisfied being picked as a reserve for the upcoming Shanghai Sevens for which the team left on the wee hours of Thursday.

Arunashantha is a sevens specialist and can play either as winger, hooker or prop. He was a little emotional when telling this writer that he was not selected for the final 12 for the tour to China.

"I am very keen on learning the reason for my exclusion from the side. I will continue to train hard and correct my faults," he said with interest.

He opined that rugby had helped him develop a sound mind and also helped mould him into a disciplined individual.

"I have still not received a yellow card in my entire rugby career," he said.

Arunashantha works as a Leading Aircraftsman at the Air Force and intends joining the regular force. "I cherish joining the Air Force because there is a lot of support from everybody to pursue by rugby career," he said.

He is married to Sunalee Nadeesha, a netball player, who is also employed by the Air Force. Married life has gifted him with a son and a daughter.

Arunashantha is on cloud nine at present given his achievements at rugby and as a father. He said that he was working towards achieving his full potential as a sportsman.