Isipathana College, Colombo has played a major role in producing several talented sportsmen, especially in Rugby who have represented the National team. Leslie de Silva was one of them who was keen in becoming a talented and a well-recognized player in the sports arena.
Leslie de Silva, well known as ‘Lella’ in the rugby circles was a great product of Isipathana College who donned the Police and the National jersey in his 15 a side Rugby career from 1974 to 1990. He played as a hooker throughout his career and led Isipathana in 1981 which was studded with 13 coloursmen . He started playing Rugby at the tender age of 13 years in 1974. He was influenced by his elder brother Dudley de Silva who also played as hooker in the Isipathana team in 1973 and 1974 under captaincy of Nalin de Silva and Nihal Mendis respectively. He enrolled at Isipathana as a primary class student in 1966, when Isipathana rugby was cynosure of all eyes by dominating Schools Rugby arena. In 1974 under Mani Sugathapala he started Playing Junior rugby in the under-15 team. Two years later he continued to play in the under-17 team under the watchful eyes of Kamal Jayawardena, who he rates as his mentor.
He finally got an opportunity to play in the First XV team in1978 under M.P.F.Sallay as hooker, where he was able to play a few games In the next year he was a regular player in his favourite position as hooker under K.D. Nanayakkara’s captaincy, where he reached his peak. They became the runners-up to Royal in the school’s unofficial league and were called to tour Bangkok for the Asian Schools Rugby Tournament . In 1980, under A.S.D. Bowela Isipathana rugby took the limelight with the involvement of some great players like Hisham Abdeen, M.P.F Sallay, M.D. Ifthikar, V.P. Sepala. This team went on to defeat the mighty Royal side 14 -7 after a decade and clinched the school’s sevens title for ‘Philip Buultjens Trophy’ with a runaway 22-3 win over Trinity in the final
. In 1980 he toured with Isipathana team to Bangkok to take part in Asian Schools Rugby Tournament. While maturing as a player in 1981, he was chosen to lead the star studded Isipathana team which consisted of 13 coloursmen including Hector Gunathilake, M.D.
Ifthikar, Dilroy Fernando, Thisantha de Silva, Roger Rodrigo, Aruna Uduwelagedara, Sheham Siddik, Kamal Mahendra, Harsha Gunaratne, Harsha Deepal, V.P. Sepala, Premanath de Silva and Udaya Rajam.
This team was under the watchful eyes of O.W.R. Perera who transformed them to a disciplined. outfit After leaving college in 1981, he joined the Sri Lanka Police on an invitation extended by late Daya Jayasundera to enrol as a Sub Inspector . Under M.Nazeeb he played in1982 and continued to play for the Police team as a hooker under Rohan Gunaratne in 1983. Under Upali Vithanage they won the Clifford Cup in 1984 as three of his school mates Roger Rodrigo, Hector Gunathilake and K.P. Subasinghe joined his team. The year 1986 was a significant year by beating Havelock’s 22-6 while winning the sevens tournament under H. Premasiri. Next year Muruga Jayaratne’s Police won the R. Premadasa Trophy with a smashing 31-12 win over Havelocks and Inter Club Sevens tournament. He was a member of the sides which won the A division league tournament and Rugby Sevens under Ajantha Samarakoon in 1988 and rugby Triple= the A division league Premadasa trophy and Sevens title under Hafees Marso’s leadership in 1989
He was called for National duty in 1986 to represent the National Team as a Hooker and went on to play in the 1986, 1988 and 1990 Rugby Asiads.
He also toured Taiwan in 1989 and was privileged to be associated with players like Hisham Abdeen, Priyantha Ekanayake, Palitha Siriwardena, Hafees Marso, Norman Silva, Ajantha Samarakoon, Hector Gunathilake, Roger Rodrigo, Nizam Jamaldeen, Hemantha Yatawara, Rohan Abeykoon, Nalin de Silva, Saman Kotelawela, Nilantha Lakshimiwewa
While being a player in 1996 he took up Isipathana first XV coaching when Bandula Mallikarachchi was Captaining and created history with Isipathana beating Trinity 20 -13 in Kandy while concluding that season successfully. After his early retirement from Police in 1994 as a Chief inspector at the age of 35 years he joined the private sector and is currently working as the Group General Manager of Tropicoir Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. He was made a National selector for Rugby from 2018 until upto-date. He likes to convey his sincere gratitude to former Police coaches Anton Benedict, late Daya Jayasundera and Sumith Silva, secretary Police Rugby and former IGP, Ernest Perera who influenced him to become a fully fledged player.
His wife Lakmali Fernando was a former National Athlete who participated in the SAF games in Dhaka in 1985. She won the 100 metre Silver and 200 Metre Bronze medals. His two daughters are Deshini an Interior Architect and Aschariya reading for Masters have been the success behind his Rugby Career.
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