Sahid Zumri Becomes Seventh Isipatana Schoolboy to Represent Country in Rugby 7's Whilst in School -

By Marlon Dale Ferreira

Isipathana College’s Vice-Captain and standout rugby player, Sahid Zumri, has earned his place among the legends of his school’s rich rugby history by being selected to represent Sri Lanka in the upcoming Asia Rugby Sevens Challenge Trophy in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Zumri, who will don the national jersey for the tournament on October 4-5, 2024, becomes the sixth Isipathana schoolboy to achieve this prestigious honor while still in school, joining an elite group of rugby greats from the institution.

Zumri’s feat mirrors the legacy first set by Hisham Abdeen, who was the first Isipathana schoolboy to represent Sri Lanka at the Hong Kong Sevens in 1980.

Since then, other Isipathana stars have followed in his footsteps, including:

Champika Nishantha (1992) – Hong Kong Sevens
Dinesh Kumara (2002) – Commonwealth Games
Ashan De Costa (2006) – Asia Rugby Sevens * (Isipatana were relegated to ‘B’ Division in 2006)
Sajith Saranga (2007) – Asia Rugby 7s Circuit
Dinusha Chaturanga (2008) – Asia Rugby 7s Circuit
Sahid Zumri (2024) – Asia Rugby Sevens Challenge Trophy, Nepal

Zumri’s personal contributions to Isipathana College’s rugby successes from 2022 to 2024 are notable:

2022: Contributed to the League Championship victory and Knockout Runner-Up finish.
2023: As U18 team captain, Zumri led them to become All-Island Champions and secured the U19 7s Championship. He was named Best Player in both the U18 and U19 7s tournaments. The team finished 3rd in the League and Runners-Up in the Knockouts.
2024: Helped Isipathana claim their 16th Schools Knockout Championship while finishing League Runners-Up. Zumri was the Man of the Match in 4 league games and Best Player of the Schools Knockout. Over the 2024 season, he scored 7 tries, 11 penalties, and 11 conversions, amassing a total of 90 points.

Zumri’s selection to the national team reflects the continuation of Isipathana’s rugby legacy. Since its rugby inception in the 1960s, Isipathana College has produced a steady stream of top-tier rugby talent, known for their fast-paced, aggressive playstyle that has dominated the Sri Lankan schools’ rugby scene. The school has contributed significantly to the national rugby landscape, with many of its players going on to represent Sri Lanka in international tournaments, including the Commonwealth Games and Asia Rugby Sevens circuits.

Zumri’s achievements, alongside those of past Isipathana players, reinforce the school’s commitment to developing homegrown talent that continues to shine both at school and national levels.

Another notable Isipathanian who represented not one, but two nations – Sri Lanka and the Arabian Gulf (nations constituting players from UAE,Qatar,Bahrain,Oman and Saudi Arabia) was the dynamic and agile scrum-half Roger Rodrigo.

Even though not representing the country as a schoolboy, Roger Rodrigo brought great honour by being awarded the Player of the Tournament on two occassions at the international Dubai Rugby Sevens in 1990 and 1992.

Editor’s Note:

In keeping with The Morning Telegraph’s “Correction Policy”, the published story was edited at 12:14 hours on the 26th September 2024.

Edited content:

Headline “Sahid Zumri Becomes Sixth Isipatana Schoolboy to Represent Country Whilst in School” was changed to “Sahid Zumri Becomes Seventh Isipatana Schoolboy to Represent Country in Rugby 7’s Whilst in School”
Additionally the following was included in the list of players “Ashan De Costa (2006) – Asia Rugby Sevens * (Isipatana were relegated to ‘B’ Division in 2006)

Whilst there have been several Isipatana schoolboys who have represented the country in 15 a side rugby whilst at school, this published story refers only to the Isipatana Schoolboys who represented the country in 7’s rugby whilst at school.

The only other schoolboy to represent Sri Lanka in Rugby 7’s is Dhanushka Pushpakumara from Vidyartha College Kandy in 2002 at the Commonwealth Games held in Manchester, United Kingdom.