Mindika Jayasinghe at the helm of Mercantile Rugby FA
Mindika Jayasinghe will take over the leadership role of the Mercantile Rugby Football Association (MRFA) for the term of 2025/26, with Clifford Surendran being elected as the Secretary. One of the strongest sport bodies among the local corporates, the MRFA will have its leadership bolstered by the presence of Sumal Perera of Access Group as the Patron.
Nishantha Wickramage of 3DH Engineering and Achala Ramanayake of Prima Group will function as Vice Presidents while Nalaka Wijenayake of Cargills Bank filled in the position of Treasurer. Immediate Past President, Dinushka Jayatissa of Valvoline Global, will provide continuity and guidance to the new administration.
Jayasinghe, the newly elected President of MRFA, currently serves as Relationship Manager for SME at Sampath Bank, bringing wealth of rugby experience to the position. A former captain of Ananda College, Jayasinghe went on to represent Sri Lanka at the Under-16 Asian Championship in Chinese Taipei, where they won the Plate Championship. He turned out for CH&FC, Old Zahirians and Havelocks and also had a distinguished mercantile rugby career, representing and captaining Sampath Bank from 2005 to 2019.
Clifford, the newly elected Secretary, serves as Director – Sri Lanka for The Executive Centre, establishing himself as a well-seasoned and reputed business leader in the corporate real estate sector. A former alumni of Trinity College, Clifford is well recognised for his work in sports media and corporate event presenting over the last 15 years. He represented his school in basketball, athletics, and junior rugby, later captaining both Kandy District and Central Province basketball teams in the late 1990s. He also served as Treasurer of Masters Basketball Sri Lanka.
The new leadership team is expected to build on MRFA’s strong foundation while exploring fresh opportunities for mercantile rugby development in Sri Lanka.