President's Trophy 2025 Inter-Schools Rugby Showdown kicks off today

THE much-anticipated President's Trophy 2025 Inter-Schools Rugby Championship, conducted by the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association (SLSRFA), is set to kick off today (April 25).

- SHAMSEER JALEEL

This year’ edition promises to be one of the most fiercely contested in recent memory, as top-tier school ‘teams from across the island prepare to battle for supremacy. With fixtures lined up at Royal Complex, Longdon Place (CR & FC), and Havelock Park, fans can expect an exhilarating display of schoolboy rugby over the coming days. Isipathana are the defending champions who beat St. Peters last year. Greens were led by Nisaja Jayaweera with Shaahid Zumri was the player of the final.

The opening day of action today there will witness two exciting pre-quarterfinal clashes. Dharmaraja College will lock horns with D.S. Senanayake College at the CR & FC grounds. Both teams bring contrasting styles to the game — Dharmaraja with their structured, set-piece oriented play, and DS with their fast-paced backline moves. Meanwhile, Wesley College will face off against St Joseph's College, a fixture that is expected to be closely fought. Both sides have been in good form during the league stages and will look to bring that momentum into this crucial knockout encounter.