Saman’s travel from Lumbini to stardom

The first student from Lumbini College Colombo to represent national rugby team was Saman Kotalawala. One of the best defenders in his playing days, Saman represented Navy SC, Havelocks SC, Police SC and later on switched to Kandy SC before hanging up his boots.

Saman played for Lumbini College from 1976 to 1980 as a center threequarter and also as a scrum half. He first represented the Sailors in 1982 and was in the Sri Lanka team which played at the Hong Kong Sevens in 1983. The following year he moved over to Havelocks SC as the Sailors stopped playing rugby due to the war in the North and the East.

In the following year Havelocks Sports Club won the Clifford Cup knock out tournament and in 1985 they were local Sevens runners-up. In 1984 Saman was in the national team which played against Japan, Thailand, and Singapore in the Rugby ASIAD.

A year later Saman joined Police SC and played under Hettiarachchi Premasiri and Muruga Jayaratne. Police won the Clifford Cup and the John Player Rugby League in tandem. He played with some top class players such as Hafeel Marso, Nizam Jamaldeen, Niranjan Abeywardena, Hemantha Yatawara, Ajantha Samarakoon and Asoka Jayasena to name a few. Saman played in the 1987 Hong Kong Sevens while representing the country at the World Cup Sevens in Sydney and later on toured Wales under Hisham Abdeen. Police later on in 1990 withdrew from the club championship and Saman was compelled to move back to his former club at Havelock Park. The following year he crossed back to play for the Police SC under Hemantha Yatawara and a year later both returned to Kandy Sports Club. He helped Kandy SC to win the Clifford Cup.

This was the era when Kandy SC was making its return as a winning outfit. That year Kandy won its very first trophy after an existence of more than 100 years. He was in the champion Kandy outfit for many years and in fact he was the skipper of the 1995 Kandy SC side which won the triple championship for the first time. In 1996 Kandy SC won the League and the President's trophy and the next season, in 1997, Saman hung up his boots prematurely.

Saman speaking to Sunday Times said: “The players should also indulge in weight training to build up power and ensure that the body is in good shape and is not injury prone. This would ensure a successful season as fitness and endurance play an important role. Having the skills is no use unless you could last the entire game. These are important factors the ruggerites should take serious note of.

He added; “It is nothing wrong if you look for players from other schools but you must catch them very young, may be even before they had taken to the oval shaped ball game. They should be encouraged to play for schools at a higher level where they will get better exposure and necessary training and guidance as otherwise they will fall by the wayside.”

Kotta, as he is known fondly on the field, continued by saying “Bringing a talented boy from the distant place such as Embilipitiya or Anuradhapura and playing for a school in Colombo or Kandy is a good break for the lad and his family as the school will look after his education and all other facilities that he will not get in his present home town. His natural talents will be identified and the skills honed and he could make it to the top grade. Otherwise he would have a few lower division matches and even forget the game of rugby. These are the hard realities we must face and not look at the wrong side of the coin”.

Saman is overlooking the junior teams of St. Anthony’s College Katugastota while being employed at Penguin Garments at Palletalawinna.