FORMER IGP ERNEST PERERA – AN UNSUNG HERO OF POLICE RUGBY
Guided Police SC to being undisputed champs in the local rugby arena
Under the stewardship of Perera the Police rugby team were undisputed champions in the local rugby arena having won all major tournaments conducted by the Union
Former IGP Ernest B. Perera who passed away recently did yeoman service to national and Police rugby and is hailed as one of the pioneers of Police SC’s dominance in the local rugby arena during the glorious 1980’s and early 90’s. Taking on the mantle initiated by his predecessor legendary Rudra Rajasingham who himself was at the forefront of promoting rugby within the island, Perera ensured as Chairman of Police rugby for over a period of seven years the dominance of the Police team continued and was unsurpassed, until the resur- gence of Kandy SC.
An old boy of St Josephs College Colombo, Perera represented his alma mater with distinction before proceeding to gain university entrance at the Peradeniya University in Sri Lanka.
The Peradeniya University was considered as a cradle of intellectuals and produced men of the highest calibre not seen before and since in the country.
Among the many personalities that found Peradeniya a catalyst to be, personalities that brought honour to them and the country were many men who joined the Police force.
Among them R. Sunderalingam, DIGS. Vamadevan, DIG (Australia), Peter Gunawardena, Ernest Perera (IGP), T. P. F. de Silva (IGP) and Edward Gunawardena (DIG) take pride of place having been held in the highest esteem among their peers, collegues and fellow citizens alike for their unswayable integrity and honesty.
Under the stewardship of Perera the Police rugby team were undisputed champions in the local rugby arena having won all major tournaments conducted by the Union.
The Police SC rugby team was league, Clifford Cup sevens and Premadasa trophy champions during this era hailed as the golden era for Police rugby.
With Perera at the helm of Police rugby both as the Chairman of the rugby committee and as the Inspector General of Police, the Police team were seven times league champions. They were twice triple champs once as Chairman (1985) and once as IG (1989), winning a complete 14 major trophies in the first division Rugby tournament, underscoring the teams dominance.
Perera served with distinction as the Inspector General of Police from 1988.08.151993.11.29, during one of the most crucial eras in the history of the country.