The tantalizing battle in the first leg of the Bradby is now behind us. Fans, well-wishers and votaries will be awaiting another rousing battle, come next Saturday. Amidst the fun, camaraderie and bon homie that is associated with the Bradby we will, indeed, miss that great Royal sportsman and rugby personality –the legendary Mahesa Rodrigo.
 |
| Mahesa Rodrigo at last year’s Old Royalists Rugby Dinner flanked by the Trinity Principal and President of the SLRFU and senior dine Tony Anghie |
He was diminutive in size but verily a mighty colossus in stature and performance - on and off the field. He passed away, on January 7 this year, without a fuss. It was as though he had brought his own innings to a close in a manner most of us would like to close ours. It was in that sense a most fortunate demise for him sans any form of suffering or a lingering illness. Nevertheless, his passing away has left a void that can never be filled.
Space does not permit the recounting of all the outstanding achievements and sterling qualities of this fine sportsman. But a salient few may be mentioned. Mahesa captained Royal at rugby and at cricket at the age of 18 years in the same year, 1946: and was the only Royalist to do so until this feat was equalled by Shanie Perera in 1998. For his leadership acumen, he was rewarded with the captaincy of the CR&FC, for three consecutive years, 1951, 1952 and 1953, leading his club to its first Clifford Cup inter-club championship honours in 1952. He led Low-Country in the annual Capper Cup encounter with Up-Country in 1952, ‘53,’55 and ’57. More significantly, in 1952 he became the first native Sri Lankan to captain the country at Rugby; signaling an unqualified recognition of his abilities as a leader, and, this, at a time when the composition of Sri Lanka (Ceylon) teams was dominated by foreigners.
 |
| Mahesa Rodrigo |
He went onto captain the country in 1953 and ’55 as well. Lucien de Zoysa, the respected cricket commentator, writer and his team-mate at the SSC and at national level has ventured to say, in his book ‘First Love’, that had he continued his cricket, he would have captained the country at cricket as well.
Records indicate that as a rugby player, Mahesa was a fledgling member of the Royal rugby team of 1943, which went on to beat Trinity, when the two match series was first introduced by Mr. Bradby, the Royal Principal. That year Royal (under Larry Foenander in the first game and Summa Navaratnam, in the second) won both games and for the first time beat Trinity in Colombo and in their own den in Kandy. In 1946, the year he captained, it was unfortunate that Royal won the first game and lost the return by a small margin and lost the Bradby Shield which was then in its second year, having been first awarded by the departing Royal Principal E.L. Bradby in 1945. The great sportsman that he was, he always strongly believed and instilled in us that the game had to be played hard as it ought to be played but, above all, it must be played clean. Equally, he instilled in us never to gloat over victory nor to despair in defeat but to acknowledge defeat with dignity. This was his credo and it was very well encapsulated by him from a poem he often quoted -‘The Prayer of a Sportsman’:
“ … if I should win, let it be by the Code,
With my faith and honour held high,
And if I should lose, let me stand by the road,
And cheer as the winners go by….”
He is gratefully remembered to-day not only for his dazzling brilliance on the field but equally or more for what he gave back to his Alma Mater and to the game so willingly as a coach and mentor. That he was a brilliant player and an extraordinary leader was never in doubt. Norman Gunawardena, his erstwhile team-mate at the Club and national level has rightly asserted “…(he) was a brilliant scrum-half and a shrewd footballing brain with outstanding leadership qualities.” These attributes would no doubt have helped him to blossom into the coach and mentor par excellence that he was. Countless number of Royalists, and indeed, Thomians (as he was their first coach in 1955), and many others at the club and national levels, who benefited from his rugby sagacity will remember with respect the many tireless evenings he spent to coach, mentor and hone them into shape-not only imparting skills but developing them into complete players imbued with qualities of sportsmanship.
Mahesa was also a man ahead of his time. Some of the ploys he adopted with the Royal team in the Bradby of 1971 were perhaps the fore-runner to the type of rugby being played today. Today’s ‘hit’ was not known then, when a well practiced centre(who was a more regular prop) was made to run deliberately into the opposition to create scoring situations. Mahesa will also be remembered gratefully for initiating in 1966 that unique event, the Old Royalists’ Rugby Dinner (ORRD), along with another great Royal sportsman, Gamini Salgado: an event that brings together, annually, during Bradby time, old Royalists rugby players from all over the world in one Jolly ‘Come-Together’.-a right Royal rugby rendezvous. This year the ORRD is in its 36th year and he will be sorely missed.
He was indefatigably involved with its organization from the very inception right up to the time of his demise. Thankfully last year diners gave him a standing ovation in grateful appreciation of his endeavours.
He loved his rugby and everything that was associated with it including breaking into song with quite a commanding voice. He loved his players and protégés to a point of loyalty and was always concerned about their welfare. He loved to have them around at his home, if only as a continuing team building endeavour. Those who have had the good fortune to be present at his dinner gatherings at home and elsewhere, garnished with delectable Pagoda Cuisine, will well remember the great fun had by all –‘Sing-alongs’ galore, laced with good old rugby songs taking pride of place, alongside Irish Specials, Golden Oldies etc., his special brand of wit, mischief and humour completing the menu!
Those who have been coached by him at rugby, particularly at school, will well remember his familiar voice signaling to them with his signature phrase, ‘it’s all over’, at the end of practicing a particular ploy or at the end of a practice session. Unfortunately it was ‘all over’ for us when the final whistle was blown on him that fatal day in January. That whistle was abrupt, leaving no room for injury time or extra time. It has left all those who were fortunate enough to have known him with a deep sense of loss; of a great friend and a gentle and well rounded human being with fine qualities of sportsmanship; of someone, who packed his life and ours with great jollity and humour. We will always bow our head and say: well played Sir, you lived a life worth living and made our lives worthwhile, indeed. We thank his dear wife of well over 50 years, Yoga and his progeny, Maithra and Tarini for giving us the best of his time. -ULK
|
E-mail
