Milo President's Trophy Knockout Tournament

Milo President's Trophy
Sport Rugby union
Formerly known as Premadasa Trophy
Prime Minister's Trophy
Inaugural season 1985
Number of teams 8
Country Sri Lanka (Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association)
Holders Isipathana College (2016)
Most titles Isipathana College (10 titles)
Related competition Singer School Rugby League

The Milo President's Trophy is an annual school knockout u/20 rugby tournament in Sri Lanka.[1] The tournament was first staged in 1985 when it was known as the Premadasa Trophy, named after Ranasinghe Premadasa (the then Prime Minister). The tournament involves the top seven school teams in the Division 1A Group and the winner of the Division 1B Group. In 2007 the tournament was expanded to include the Premier Trophy and in 2008 the Chairman's Trophy, to provide more school teams with the opportunity to compete at the same level.[2]

In 2009 the it was renamed as the Milo Trophy after two years it returned to its original name as the Milo President's Trophy.[3]

In 2010 the scheduled final was suspended at the last minute by the authorities due to a court order issued by Isipathana College.[4] The two teams, St. Peter's College and Royal College, however still played abeit as a friendly encounter, with St Peter's College winning 29–27.[5] After two years, the court case was dismissed and the two schools were jointly awarded the Trophy.

In 2015 it was contested by only six sides, Royal College (2015 league champions), Isipathana College (league runner-up), Trinity College (third seed), Science College (fourth seed), St. Peter's College (fifth seed) and D. S. Senanayake College, after injuries decimated the league's sixth placed finisher St. Joseph's College, league plate champions Wesley College and plate runner-up St. Anthony's.[6] The President's Trophy was won by Science College for the first time, who defeated Isipathana College 21–18 in the final.[7] Lalith Athulathmudali College won the Premier Trophy defeating Mahanama College 17–14[8] and in the Chairman's Trophy, St. Thomas' College, Matale, defeated Carey College, Colombo 7–0 in the final.[9]

The competition in 2016 was essentially only contested by seven teams, with defending champions Science College withdrawing from the tournament due to financial issues, Trinity College deciding not to participate and the 2015 league plate champions St. Joseph’s College pulling out due to injuries. D. S. Senanayake College who finished fourth in the league plate and twelfth in the league were scheduled to play due Trinity College’s withdrawal, however they opted not to compete claiming that they have not had enough time to prepare for the tournament. The final was scheduled to be played on 9 July at the Royal Sports Complex but Isipathana lodged a protest insisting that Royal College would have a home ground advantage. The final was then rescheduled to be played at the Colombo Racecourse on 16 July however Isipathana objected as it would interfere with preparations for the national under-18s tour of Hong Kong.[10] Both sides subsequently agreed to play the final on 13 July, where Isipathana College regained the President's Trophy by defeating Royal College 47-12.[11] Thurstan College collected the Premier Trophy by successfully defeating St. John's College, Nugegoda 15-5, and St. Thomas' College, Matale won the Chairman's Trophy by beating Vidyaloka Maha Vidyalaya, Galle, 57 to nil.[12]

Past winners

Year Winner Runner-up
1985 Isipathana College Ananda College
1986 Isipathana College Royal College
1987 Trinity College Isipathana College
1988 Royal College Isipathana College
1989 S. Thomas' College Isipathana College
1990 S. Thomas' College Isipathana College
1991 S. Thomas' College Ananda College
1992 Isipathana College Ananda College
1993 Trinity College Isipathana College
1994 S. Thomas' College St. Peter's College
1995 St. Peter's College Isipathana College
1996 Isipathana College St. Peter's College
1997 Isipathana College Thurstan College
1998 Thurstan College Isipathana College
1999 Isipathana College Ananda College
2000 Kingswood College S. Thomas College
2001 Isipathana College St. Peter's College
2002 Royal College Wesley College
2003 Kingswood College S. Thomas' College
2004 Kingswood College Wesley College
2005 Kingswood College St. Peter's College
2006 St. Peter's College Kingswood College
2007 St. Peter's College Isipathana College
2008 St. Peter's College Isipathana College
2009 S. Thomas' College Isipathana College
2010 Royal College / St. Peter's College
2011 Trinity College Isipathana College
2012 Isipathana College Trinity College
2013 Wesley College Trinity College
2014 Isipathana College Royal College
2015 Science College Isipathana College
2016 Isipathana College Royal College

Total wins

Isipathana College are the most successful schools rugby team having won the knockout tournament a total of ten times, including three wins whilst it was still the Prime Minister's Trophy (1985–95) and have been the runner up eleven times. St. Peter's College and S Thomas' College are the next most successful schools having won the trophy five times (1995, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010 – where it was joint champions with Royal College) while S. Thomas College (1989, 1990, 1991, 1994 and 2009). Kingswood College has won it four times in (2000, 2003, 2004 and 2005), with Royal College winning it three times (1988, 2002 and 2010 joint champions with St. Peter's College) along with Trinity College (1987, 1993 and 2011). Three teams have won it just once Thurstan College (1998), Wesley College (2013) and Science College (2015). Ananda College have been runners-up four times (1985, 1991, 1992 and 1999) but have yet to win the trophy.

School Wins Year
Isipathana College 10 1985, 1986, 1992, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2012, 2014, 2016
St Peter's College 5 1995, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010‡
S. Thomas' College 5 1989, 1990, 1991, 1994, 2009
Kingswood College 4 2000, 2003, 2004, 2005
Trinity College 3 1987, 1993, 2011
Royal College 3 1988, 2002, 2010‡
Thurstan College 1 1998
Wesley College 1 2013
Science College 1 2015

References

  1. Amit, M. Shamil (5 July 2015). "Milo Schools President's Trophy Knockout". Sunday Times. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  2. "Top Six Schools Teams Gear For Rugby Knockout". The Sunday Leader. 28 June 2015. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  3. Pinnawala, Chathura (20 August 2011). "Presidents Trophy back for rugby knockouts". The Island. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  4. "Royal and St.Peter's declared joint champions". Daily News. 7 July 2012. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  5. "President's Trophy final not played on Court order". Daily News. 24 July 2010. Retrieved 26 October 2015.
  6. "Milo President's Trophy Knockout Tournament Six teams in the fray". Ceylon Today. 25 June 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2015.
  7. Amit, M. Shamil (13 July 2015). "Science Dethrone Isipathana for Historic Title Win". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 21 October 2015.
  8. "Lalith Athulathmudali come from behind to take Premier Trophy". The Papare. 14 July 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  9. "STC Matale turns tables with historic Chairman's Trophy Win". The Papare. 13 July 2015. Retrieved 23 October 2015.
  10. "President's Trophy final rescheduled". The Island. 9 July 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  11. Hameed, Hisham (13 July 2016). "The Undisputed Kings of Schools' Rugby". The Papare. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
  12. "Milo Inter-Schools knockout rugby final: Thurstan edges out St. John's Nugegoda for Premier Trophy". Daily News. 11 July 2016. Retrieved 14 July 2016.
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