Bradby Shield Encounter

Royal College and Trinity College, two distinguished institutions of Sri Lanka, were among the pioneers to embrace the game of rugby union, with their maiden match held on the 31 July 1920, marking a historic milestone. Subsequently, this remarkable encounter evolved into a yearly tradition, where Trinity College maintained an unbeaten streak for the first two decades, until their first defeat to Royal College in 1941. Notably, in 1945, Mr. E. L. Bradby, the Principal of Royal College,[2] extended an offer to Mr. C. E. Simithraaratchy, the Principal of Trinity College,[3] proposing the donation of a coveted Shield. Mr Simithraaratchy graciously accepted this proposal. The Shield was to be contested annually, with the victor being the college that achieved the highest total score over the two-leg series, one leg played in Colombo and the other in Kandy, as initiated in 1943.[4][5][6]

This annual event has persevered through the years, with the exception of the year 1971, where only the first leg was played due to the 1971 JVP insurrection. The Shield was presented to Royal College, the victors of the first leg. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the event in both 2020 and 2021, marking the only other time in which this illustrious event could not take place.

The Shield, a product of Kandyan silversmiths, was graciously bestowed upon the series by Principal E.L. Bradby before his departure from Ceylon in 1945. A wooden disk of exquisite design, it is embellished with intricate, traditional Kandyan silverwork, serving as a treasured symbol of victory and an enduring testament to the magnificence of this storied encounter.

Following the conclusion of the second leg of the series, the Shield is ceremoniously presented to the captain of the triumphant team in an award ceremony conducted on the playing field. The winning team is then afforded the privilege of retaining possession of this esteemed trophy until the next year, whereupon it will be proudly showcased at their school, eagerly awaiting the commencement of another fiercely contested and highly anticipated clash

The Bradby Shield Encounter is traditionally contested over two legs, with one match held in Colombo and the other in Kandy. Historically, the venue for the Colombo fixture had been the Sugathadasa Stadium. In the early 2000s, matches were relocated to the Royal College Sports Complex. Meanwhile, the Kandy leg of the tournament was held at the Bogambara Stadium or at the Nittawela Rugby Stadium. Since 2012, this event has been contested at Trinity College's home ground, Trinity College Rugby Stadium in Pallekelle.

• Since the tournament's beginning, there have been six instances of a side losing the first leg but winning the second and the Bradby Shield. The first time this occurred was in the inaugural year itself, in 1945, when Trinity fought back to win the second leg and the encounter 6-0 after losing the first leg 0-3.
• Trinity has the record for the biggest comeback, overturning an 8-point deficit in the first leg after losing 25-33 to win the second leg and the encounter 40-5 by a margin of 27 points in 2011.[16] After losing the first leg 18-20, Royal rallied back to win the second leg and the encounter 42-11 by a margin of 29 points in 1998.
• There have also been six instances where a side has won the second leg and the encounter after drawing the first leg.
• The longest winning streak in the series is six, recorded by Trinity between 1952 and 1957.[17] Royal won the shield four seasons in a row from 2001 through 2004, which they repeated from 2017 through 2022, with the series being suspended in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic.
• The encounter in 1992 resulted in a tie after both legs were drawn, 0-0 in Kandy and 3-3 in Colombo. This marks the first time such an outcome has occurred in Bradby history. The 2016 encounter similarly finished in a tie, with Royal winning the 1st leg 22-17 and Trinity winning the 2nd leg 18-13, making it only the series' second tie.[18]
• Royal College set the record for the largest margin of victory in 2002, winning by an aggregate score of 83-00.[19]
• The highest total of points scored by both teams in a single match is 75, which occurred during the first leg of the 2010 contest, with Royal winning 38-37.[20]
• The 2010 encounter also resulted in both teams scoring a combined total of 126 points over two legs (Royal 72 - Trinity 54), establishing a series record.[21]
• The most points scored by a team in a single match is 49-0 by Royal in the second leg of the 2015 fixture.[22] Trinity's record is 40-5, which was scored during the second leg in 2011.
• Due to security concerns stemming from the 1971 JVP Insurrection, only one leg of the 1971 contest was staged between the schools. The Shield was awarded to Royal College as a result of the 1st leg at an assembly by Mr E. L. Fernando, the then-principal of Trinity College.[23]
• Mr. and Mrs. E. L. Bradby travelled to Sri Lanka as guests of The Royal College Union for the 2nd leg, which also happened to be the 100th rugby football match between Royal and Trinity.[24]
• The 2nd leg match of the 2008 encounter marked the 150th meeting between Royal and Trinity.
• The 2019 encounter marked the 75th anniversary of the series. The matches were postponed numerous times in the aftermath of the 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings and was played under heightened security.[25][26]
• Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the series was suspended in 2020 and 2021, marking the first time in its history that the Bradby series was totally halted.[27][28]

• Royal College
• Trinity College