31st October, 1993, will always be commemorated as a Red Letter Day in the annals of Trinity College, Kandy. Headed by the School Band, Trinitians walked from College to Pallekele, the destination being the proposed Rugger Field site. The Principal, members of the staff, old boys, parents and well wishers and students walked, in a colourful procession; picnic like, although there was serious business, to inaugurate the work for the new Rugger Field. Rugby football has always been a popular sport and as a rugby playing school, Trinity has made a mark that it could well count as oen of the oldest rugger playing schools in the country. In truth our records go beyond a hundred years.
Ironically Trinity College had no rugger field of her own. The Bradby Shield Rugby Encounter between Royal College and Trinity College, is now easily the foremost event in the rugger calendar. When we hosted Royal College in Kandy venues had been Bogambara, Nittawela and Peradeniya. None of those grounds belong to Trinity.
There are difficulties but none so serious as to be insurmountable though travelling the distance of 13 km will be a disadvantage. Pallekele has been a place where Trinitians are accustomed to travel as the Farm is situated close by. When the Principal made a formal appeal through Mr. J.W. Welianga a member of the staff who was close to the President D.B. Wijethunga, a 10 hectare block of land was given to Trinity as an outright grant for the purpose. It is not a part of the farm land as it is commonly believed. It is worthy of record that his Excellency the President was keen to help the school.
Funds for the proposed scheme came slow but the work of the ambitions project begun as early as 1994, since then the ground has been used for rugger matches including the prestigious Bradby Shield Encounter since 2012. With an abundance of space for parking vehicles, it has been accepted as an ideal place for a rugger stadium.
If rugger in the school with its spectacular and phenomenal victories has brought honour it is worthwhile for the school to have a rugger field which can be used exclusively for the purpose. This too was a long felt need which has been made good.
