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Kingswood-Wesley Blazé Trophy: A new era

Kingswood-Wesley Blazé Trophy: A new era

15 Aug 2025 | By Muaard Razick

  • WCC looking for record 4th, KCK on the hunt



The annual traditional Blazé Trophy encounter between Kingswood College Kandy and Wesley College Colombo will be battled out on Saturday (16) at CR&FC Grounds in Longden Place. 

For the first time in history the match will be played under lights at 6.30 p.m. with junior matches starting at 3 p.m. This fierce rivalry between ‘brother schools’ runs deep with a century-plus history. Both schools, Wesley (1874) and Kingswood (1891), were founded with Methodist and Wesleyan ties.

Interestingly, the founder of Kingswood, Louis Edmund Blazé is also credited with introducing rugby to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) in 1891, and the annual match is played in memory of, which was first awarded in 1986. Kingswood won the inaugural trophy under the captaincy of Ronnie Ibrahim, who later became a highly successful rugby coach. Wesley’s maiden win came in 1988 under the captaincy of Shalan Rupesinghe and Shiraz Jaldin. Kingswood have been dominating the series with a ruthless record, however the last decade saw the resurgence of the Double Blues from Campbell Park creating their maiden 3-in-a-row win record in the Blazé trophy history. Their only back-to-back wins came in 1997 and 1998. This year, the 1998 skipper Asanka Gammanpila’s offspring Sandul Gammanpila leads the Wesley outfit. 

Adding to more rugby pedigree, both schools are coached by two respected alumnus, Ananda ‘Castro’ Kasturiarachchi (KCK) and Henry Terence (WCC). Interestingly, the Wesley outfit is powered with some top notch Kingswoodians in the likes of former Sri Lanka 7s specialist Amjad Buksh (backs coach) and Thilina Weerasinghe (kicking coach) adding value to the brotherhood derby. Kingswood are coming into the game to prove a point and break a six-year hoodoo and this encounter has had its fair share of dramatic upset at the last gasp especially in 2017 when a red-hot favourite star studded Wesley was toppled by 1-point by Kingswood playing in the B-Division.


Captains 


Kingswood – Thaveesha Ekanayake (C), Dhulisha Rasanjana (VC)

Wesley – Sandul Gammanpila (C), Abdul Haadhi (VC), Hashim Thabeeth (VC)


Head to head (last 10 years)


2024 – WCC 43-17 KCK

2023 – WCC 30-15 KCK

2022 – WCC 31-07 KCK

2019 – KCK 17-12 WCC

2018 – KCK 31-13 WCC

2017 – KCK 40-39 WCC

2016 – WCC 57-07 KCK

2015 – KCK 19-17 WCC

2014 – KCK 44-21 WCC

2013 – 8-8 draw


Win tally 


Kingswood – 23 (Last win 2019)

Wesley – 9 (Last win 2024)

Drawn – 4


While League runners-up Wesley comes in as favourites, Kingswood is having a memorable season. After three seasons of misery, they are playing a brilliant, open style of rugby and are hoping to salvage pride back to the hills. The match promises to be an exciting one, with both teams looking to play scintillating rugby in their season finale.






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