Shashika Jayawardena , popularly known as ‘Java’ among friends, an old boy of St.Anthony’s College, Kandy is an outstanding rugby player who started rugby in school as an Under 13 player and his first Coach was Nihal Ananda. His Under 17 Coach was Priyantha Gunaratne and the Under 18 Coach was Nihal Gunaratne popularly known as ‘Viper’ Gunaratne(Jnr.)
Shashika represented his schools first fifteen team for three years since 2005. He led the school seven-a-side rugby team and he was the Vice Captain of the Under 15 side. In 2006 St.Anthony’s Rugby Team won the Schools Rugby Sevens and became runner-up in the All Island 15-a-side Schools Rugby tournament.
In the year 2007 Sashika was selected to the Under 21 Junior National Rugby Team under the coaching of Sanath Martis at Chinese Taipei International Tourney in 2006. In 2007 he took part in the Brunei International Rugby tournament and he joined the champion Kandy Sports Club in the year 2007 and played as a flanker, No.8 and second row for a record 14 years. He toured South Africa with the Sri Lanka Rugby team in the year 2010 and played at the Carlton Sevens for three years at a stretch. Again he toured Japan under the captaincy of Namal Rajapaksa, the present Minister of Sports. He was a member of the Five Nations Champion Sri Lanka side and his Kandy SC Coach is Johan Taylor.
Sashika is intending to play rugby for the Kandy SC team as long as he is physically fit . He is an IRB Level One Strength Trainer and he is thankful to Sean Wijesinghe, Fazil Marija and Lasantha Wijesuriya for the guidance given to him and also thankful to Malik Samarawickrema, for all the support.
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