Bradby Shield Encounter Explained

Wide:	yes
The Bradby Shield
Team1:	Royal College
Team1logo:	File:Flag of Royal College, Colombo, Sri Lanka.jpg
Team2:	Trinity College
Team2logo:	File:Flag of Trinity College, Kandy, Sri Lanka.jpg
Sport:	Rugby union
Firstmeeting:	1945 Trinity 6, Royal 3
Mostrecent:	2023 Royal 37, Trinity 30
Nextmeeting:	1L – 24 August 2024 2L – 7 September 2024
Total:	77
Series:	Trinity leads, 39–36–2
Largestvictory:	Royal, 83–0 (2002)
Longeststreak:	Trinity, 6 (1952–1957)
Currentstreak:	Royal, 5 (2017–2023)
Trophy:	The Bradby Shield

The Bradby Shield Encounter, colloquially referred to as The Bradby, is an event within Sri Lanka's school rugby union season. This annual fixture takes place between two renowned boys’ schools in the country, namely Royal College, Colombo, and Trinity College, Kandy. The encounter involves two legs, with one currently held at the Royal College Sports Complex in Colombo and the other at the Trinity College Rugby Stadium in Pallekele. The winner of the competition is determined based on the aggregate of scores from both matches, typically played a couple of weeks apart.

This rugby fixture garners significant attention from spectators across the country. It is considered the most widely viewed rugby match in Sri Lanka, drawing larger crowds than both inter-club and international fixtures. This important event serves as a social gathering for the current and past pupils, their families, extended families and well-wishers with near-capacity attendance at venues and a significant viewership for the live broadcasts, both domestically and internationally.^[1]

History

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 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 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] [7]}

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.^[8] The COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the event in both 2020 and 2021, marking the only other time in which this event could not take place.^{[9] [10]}

The Shield

The Shield, a product of Kandyan silversmiths, was 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 symbol of victory and an enduring testament to this 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 the trophy until the following year's contest.

Venue

The Bradby Shield encounter is generally played in two legs, one in Colombo and the other in Kandy. Historically, the Colombo match was played at Longden Place, and since 1987, at the Sugathadasa Stadium. Matches were relocated to the Royal College Sports Complex in 2002, where they have been hosted ever since. 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 Pallekele.

Royal vs. Trinity rugby matches: 1920–1944

Results

Note

• Match venues have been abbreviated as follows:
• Thurstan Road, Colombo as Thurstan Road
• Bogambara Stadium, Kandy as Bogambara
• Reid Avenue, Colombo as Reid Avenue
• Longden Place, Colombo as Longden Place
• Police Park, Colombo as Police Park

Match	Year	Captains		Date	Venue	Score		Winner
		Royal	Trinity			Royal	Trinity
1	1920	C. G. A. Perera	H. Ellis	31 July	Thurstan Road	0	26	Trinity
-	1921	Not played
2	1922	G. H. Senarathne	A. P. Maralande	4 August	Bogambara	0	34	Trinity (2)
3	1923	W. P. L. Abeyratne	P. A. Buultjens	28 July	Reid Avenue	0	17	Trinity (3)
4	1924	J. R. Jayewardene	P.A. Buultjens	1 August	Bogambara	3	37	Trinity (4)
5	1925	D. W. L. Lieversz (Snr.)	A. N. Myanga	18 July	Thurstan Road	0	46	Trinity (5)
-	1926	Not played
-	1927	Not played
6	1928	H. S. Roberts	M. Khin Maung	4 August	Reid Avenue	6	23	Trinity (6)
-	1929	Not played
7	1930	R. C. W. Paulusz	J. Duncan	5 August	Bogambara	0	29	Trinity (7)
8	1931	G. A. K Rockwood	J. Duncan	25 July	Longden Place	0	27	Trinity (8)
9	1932	S. A. Dissanyake	S. Ratwatte	30 July	Bogambara	0	09	Trinity (9)
10	1933	M. S. Ahamath	E. W. A. Buultjens	15 July	Reid Avenue	0	19	Trinity (10)
-	1934	Not played
11	1935	W. B. V. Thiedeman	R. Breckenridge	13 July	Reid Avenue	0	19	Trinity (11)
12	1936	C. de S. Illesinghe	O. L. Izzadeen	11 July	Bogambara	3	11	Trinity (12)
13	1937	E. I. Grey	O. L. Izzadeen	17 July	Reid Avenue	0	16	Trinity (13)
14	1938	R. H. Aldons	W. Molegoda	25 June	Bogambara	13	14	Trinity (14)
15	1939	S. E. Toussaint	V. K. Vellayan	29 July	Reid Avenue	3	14	Trinity (15)
16	1940	R. Kadiragamar	S. B. Dissanayake	20 July	Bogambara	3	09	Trinity (16)
17	1941	M. N. Jilla	S. B. Dissanayake	12 July	Reid Avenue	11	3	Royal
18	1942	A. R. Demmer	W. Jenkins	25 July	Reid Avenue	0	22	Trinity (17)
19	1943	C. O. Foenander	W. Jenkins	11 July	Police Park	6	0	Royal (2)
20	1943	S. Navaratnam	W. Jenkins	24 July	Bogambara	5	3	Royal (3)
21	1944	N. Vancuylenberg	M. G. Wright	7 July	Thurstan Road	0	15	Trinity (18)
22	1944	N. Vancuylenberg	M. G. Wright	21 July	Bogambara	0	17	Trinity (19)

Statistics

Match statistics
Venue	Played	Won by		Drawn	Total points
		Royal	Trinity		Royal	Trinity
Colombo	13	2	11	–	26	247
Kandy	9	1	8	–	27	163
Overall	22	3	19	–	53	410

Statistics by venues

Venues in Colombo
Stadium	Span	Played	Won by		Drawn
			Royal	Trinity
Thurstan Road	1920–1944	3	–	3	–
Reid Avenue	1923–1942	9	1	8	–
Longden Place	1931	1	–	1	–
Police Park	1943	1	1	–	–
Overall	1920–1944	13	2	11	–

Bradby Shield series: 1945–2023

Results

Note

• Match venues have been abbreviated as follows:
• Racecourse, Colombo as Racecourse
• Bogambara Stadium, Kandy as Bogambara
• Police Park, Colombo as Police Park
• Royal College Sports Complex, Colombo as Reid Avenue (in 1949) and as RCSC (since 2002)
• Longden Place, Colombo as Longden Place
• Nittawela Rugby Stadium, Kandy as Nittawela
• Havelock Park, Colombo as Havelock Park
• University Rugby Football Ground, Peradeniya as Peradeniya
• Maitland Crescent, Colombo as Maitland Crescent
• Sugathadasa Stadium, Colombo as Sugathadasa
• Trinity College Rugby Stadium, Pallekele as TCRS

Series	Year	Captains		Date	Venue	Score		Winner
		Royal	Trinity			Royal	Trinity
1	1945	C. D. L. Fernando	R. G. Sourjah (1L) S. B. Pilapitiya (2L)	13 July	Racecourse	3	0	Trinity
				20 July	Bogambara	0	6
2	1946	M. Rodrigo	S. B. Pilapitiya	6 July	Police Park	3	0	Trinity (2)
				20 July	Bogambara	0	8
3	1947	N. W. Karunaratne	G. Sanmugam	12 July	Bogambara	0	6	Trinity (3)
				9 August	Police Park	0	0
4	1948	A. A. Cader	A. R. A. Mohomed	3 July	Police Park	6	3	Royal
				17 July	Bogambara	8	6
5	1949	G. C. Weinman	K. Arumugam	3 July	Reid Avenue	5	3	Royal (2)
				16 July	Bogambara	8	3
6	1950	T. St. C. Anghie	S. S. Bambaradeniya	8 June	Bogambara	0	6	Trinity (4)
				24 July	Racecourse	3	5
7	1951	H. E. Wijesinghe	M. S. Panditharatne	4 July	Longden Place	19	3	Royal (3)
				21 July	Bogambara	13	5
8	1952	A. B. Van Twest	M. S. Panditharatne	5 July	Police Park	0	6	Trinity (5)
				19 July	Bogambara	0	12
9	1953	T. S. Almeida (1L) T. L. K. Mendis (2L)	D. Madugalle	4 July	Bogambara	0	13	Trinity (6)
				22 July	Longden Place	0	3
10	1954	K. W. W. Edwards	L. L. Vitharana	10 July	Longden Place	0	5	Trinity (7)
				24 July	Bogambara	5	6
11	1955	C. V. Gunaratne	M. G. Ratwatte	11 July	Bogambara	0	6	Trinity (8)
				20 July	Longden Place	0	0
12	1956	T. L. Almeida	D. N. Frank	4 July	Racecourse	0	15	Trinity (9)
				28 July	Bogambara	0	11
13	1957	R. Sivaratnam	K. B. de Joedt	6 July	Bogambara	0	8	Trinity (10)
				19 July	Longden Place	8	9
14	1958	D. N. Fernando	K. B. de Joedt	12 July	Longden Place	6	0	Royal (4)
				26 July	Nittawela	0	0
15	1959	M. L. Anghie	D. L. Kobbekaduwa	4 July	Bogambara	5	0	Royal (5)
				18 July	Longden Place	6	0
16	1960	H. S. de Silva	E. D. K. Roles	2 July	Havelock Park	3	5	Trinity (11)
				16 July	Peradeniya	0	8
17	1961	J. V. P. Samarasekara	J. W. Jayawardena	1 July	Bogambara	6	3	Royal (6)
				15 July	Longden Place	8	0
18	1962	U. L. Kaluaratchi	N. T. E. Brohier	14 July	Longden Place	5	0	Trinity (12)
				28 July	Bogambara	0	9
19	1963	M. Jayakumar	B. D. A. Piyasena	11 July	Bogambara	6	6	Trinity (13)
				27 July	Longden Place	3	5
20	1964	K. D. T. Paul	M. T. Sahayam	11 July	Longden Place	3	0	Royal (7)
				25 July	Nittawela	14	6
21	1965	U. P. Wickramasinghe	M. T. M. Zarook	10 July	Nittawela	8	3	Royal (8)
				24 July	Longden Place	3	3
22	1966	I. R. Thurairatnam	E. G. Van Langenberg	9 July	Longden Place	3	3	Trinity (14)
				23 July	Bogambara	3	8
23	1967	D. J. Perera (1L) N. B. L. Lieversz (2L)	A. L. Abeyratne	4 July	Peradeniya	3	17	Trinity (15)
				20 July	Longden Place	3	16
24	1968	C. R. de Silva	A. L. Abeyratne	9 July	Longden Place	19	0	Royal (9)
				24 July	Peradeniya	5	3
25	1969	M. H. C. Malwatte	M. S. Jainudeen	5 July	Peradeniya	0	8	Trinity (16)
				18 July	Longden Place	3	9
26	1970	C. J. Fernando	S. P. Samarasekara	4 July	Longden Place	3	19	Trinity (17)
				21 July	Nittawela	12	16
27	1971	F. R. Perera	Y. S. Ping	29 July	Longden Place	22	3	Royal (10)
				2nd leg not played due to 1971 JVP insurrection
28	1972	G. D. S. Gunasekara	A. E. Unantenne	1 July	Longden Place	9	8	Trinity (18)
				15 July	Nittawela	3	10
29	1973	M. G. Muller	J. K. Yu	9 July	Nittawela	18	4	Royal (11)
				21 July	Maitland Crescent	4	12
30	1974	M. B. Akbar	C. Y. Ching	6 July	Longden Place	3	18	Trinity (19)
				20 July	Nittawela	9	12
31	1975	H. A. I. Hassen	M. R. Sourjah	12 July	Nittawela	13	11	Royal (12)
				19 July	Longden Place	21	3
32	1976	M. Weerakumar	S. V. Ranasinghe	3 July	Longden Place	36	0	Royal (13)
				17 July	Bogambara	25	6
33	1977	S. S. Hashim	R. N. Balasuriya	2 July	Bogambara	6	12	Trinity (20)
				16 July	Longden Place	4	10
34	1978	K. R. T. Peiris	J. R. Kiridena	3 July	Longden Place	0	0	Royal (14)
				15 July	Bogambara	8	4
35	1979	R. P. Gunasekara	J. V. Tissera	7 July	Bogambara	3	4	Royal (15)
				21 July	Longden Place	18	0
36	1980	S. Sujanthakumar	T. B. Ellepola	5 July	Longden Place	7	3	Royal (16)
				19 July	Nittawela	16	3
37	1981	N. S. Cooray	R. Bandaranayake	4 July	Nittawela	3	16	Trinity (21)
				18 July	Longden Place	10	3
38	1982	H. Muttiah	B. S. J. Fernando	3 July	Longden Place	6	9	Trinity (22)
				17 July	Nittawela	4	6
39	1983	S. Cooray	A. D. Ratwatte	2 July	Bogambara	6	14	Trinity (23)
				16 July	Longden Place	10	6
40	1984	S. Agalawatte	D. M. Wijesinghe	7 July	Longden Place	6	3	Royal (17)
				21 July	Bogambara	0	0
41	1985	C. Nanayakkara	M. Jayatissa	6 July	Bogambara	9	18	Trinity (24)
				20 July	Longden Place	4	3
42	1986	M. J. Peiris	S. N. Gunaratne	5 July	Longden Place	3	6	Trinity (25)
				19 July	Bogambara	3	9
43	1987	H. A. S. Madanayake (1L) R. de Z. Gunarathne (2L)	T. Rajapakse	2 July	Bogambara	3	7	Trinity (26)
				18 July	Sugathadasa	3	19
44	1988	L. W. de Z. Gunarathne	B. Dandeniya	2 July	Sugathadasa	24	0	Royal (18)
				16 July	Bogambara	13	0
45	1989	J. H. A. Dhammika	R. Ranaraja	5 August	Bogambara	9	6	Royal (19)
				14 August	Sugathadasa	9	8
46	1990	R. Jayasuriya	W. D. S. Premaratne (1L) R. Kalpage (2L)	6 July	Sugathadasa	23	8	Royal (20)
				21 July	Bogambara	0	6
47	1991	M. Dahanayake	M. A. Deen	6 July	Bogambara	4	12	Trinity (27)
				20 July	Sugathadasa	10	25
48	1992	H. Wijesinghe	H. M. Goonetileke	4 July	Sugathadasa	3	3	Draw
				19 July	Nittawela	0	0
49	1993	C. R. A. Abeysuriya	N. Muhandiramge	26 June	Nittawela	3	0	Royal (21)
				10 July	Sugathadasa	10	3
50	1994	R. Malalasekara	A. M. Rally	18 June	Sugathadasa	10	3	Royal (22)
				2 July	Nittawela	8	8
51	1995	A. Assen	M. A. H. Omar	17 June	Nittawela	3	6	Trinity (28)
				1 July	Sugathadasa	6	22
52	1996	R. Gunatilake	S. Amarasinghe	22 June	Sugathadasa	3	30	Trinity (29)
				6 July	Nittawela	3	12
53	1997	A. Yusuf	N. S. Fernando	21 June	TCRS	6	14	Trinity (30)
				5 July	Sugathadasa	18	11
54	1998	W. S. S. R. Perera	P. Jayawardena	20 June	Sugathadasa	18	20	Royal (23)
				4 July	Bogambara	42	11
55	1999	D. R. Rahim	R. Wickramasiri	19 June	Bogambara	10	19	Trinity (31)
				3 July	Sugathadasa	7	13
56	2000	S. Perera	H. A. Luchow	17 June	Sugathadasa	25	32	Trinity (32)
				1 July	Bogambara	20	17
57	2001	H. Kaluaratchi	T. Jayawardena	23 June	Bogambara	12	6	Royal (24)
				7 July	Sugathadasa	16	0
58	2002	Z. Hamid	N. S. A. Mendis	13 July	RCSC	39	0	Royal (25)
				27 July	Bogambara	44	0
59	2003	R. Jayasundara	M. Maddumapatabendi	19 July	Bogambara	13	11	Royal (26)
				2 August	RCSC	13	8
60	2004	A. L. Dissanayake	D. Senarath	7 August	RCSC	41	6	Royal (27)
				21 August	Bogambara	10	0
61	2005	V. Wijewardene	B. N. R. Fernando	10 September	Bogambara	6	36	Trinity (33)
				24 September	RCSC	7	33
62	2006	C. S. Gamage	I. Maddumapatabendi	9 September	RCSC	10	21	Trinity (34)
				23 September	TCRS	5	26
63	2007	M. Abeyratne	M. Wickramasiri (1L) S. Wanigasekara (2L)	9 June	Bogambara	20	12	Royal (28)
				23 June	RCSC	15	11
64	2008	S. Lenaduwa	M. N. Gunawardena	14 June	RCSC	12	24	Trinity (35)
				28 June	TCRS	8	0
65	2009	N. Dhason	V. Wijesinghe	30 May	TCRS	22	12	Royal (29)
				13 June	RCSC	31	15
66	2010	D. Attygalle	D. Dissanayake	12 May	RCSC	38	37	Royal (30)
				26 May	Bogambara	34	17
67	2011	S. Pathirana	M. Ramzeen	28 May	Bogambara	33	25	Trinity (36)
				11 June	RCSC	5	40
68	2012	A. Jamaldeen	K. Seneviratne	16 June	RCSC	11	34	Trinity (37)
				30 June	TCRS	20	36
69	2013	R. Jamaldeen	S. Singalaxana (1L) H. Wadood (2L)	1 June	TCRS	25	37	Trinity (38)
				15 June	RCSC	13	9
70	2014	N. Jayawardena	T. Ratwatte	10 May	RCSC	16	28	Trinity (39)
				24 May	TCRS	18	19
71	2015	B. Gamage	I. Rangala	9 May	TCRS	23	22	Royal (31)
				24 May	RCSC	49	0
72	2016	N. Gunadheera	R. Karunanayake	30 April	RCSC	22	17	Draw (2)
				14 May	TCRS	13	18
73	2017	O. Askey	N. Yee	20 May	TCRS	22	17	Royal (32)
				3 June	RCSC	13	8
74	2018	S. Feroze	A. Shiek	21 April	RCSC	39	7	Royal (33)
				5 May	TCRS	27	19
75	2019	T. Hassen	R. Bandaranayake	1 June	TCRS	34	17	Royal (34)
				15 June	RCSC	13	24
–	2020	Not played due to COVID-19 pandemic		–				–
				–
–	2021	Not played due to COVID-19 pandemic		–				–
				–
76	2022	H. Peiris	L. Moragoda	20 August	RCSC	29	0	Royal (35)
				3 September	TCRS	21	26
77	2023	R. Senanayake	A. Manzil	22 July	TCRS	10	13	Royal (36)
				5 August	RCSC	27	17
78	2024	T. Perera	A. Kodithuwakku	24 August	RCSC	–	–	TBD (–)
				7 September	TCRS	–	–

Statistics

Match statistics
Venue	Played	Won by		Drawn	Total points
		Royal	Trinity		Royal	Trinity
Colombo	77	41	30	6	906	735
Kandy	76	31	40	5	766	799
Overall	153	72	70	11	1672	1534

Statistics by venues

Venues in Colombo
Stadium	Span	Played	Won by		Drawn
			Royal	Trinity
Racecourse	1945–1956	3	1	2	–
Police Park	1946–1952	4	2	1	1
RCSC	1949–2023	21	14	7	–
Longden Place	1951–1986	32	17	11	4
Havelock Park	1960	1	–	1	–
Maitland Crescent	1973	1	1	–	–
Sugathadasa	1987–2001	15	7	7	1
Overall	1945–2023	77	41	30	6

Venues in Kandy
Stadium	Span	Played	Won by		Drawn
			Royal	Trinity
Bogambara	1945–2011	42	18	22	2
Nittawela	1958–1996	16	6	7	3
Peradeniya	1960–1969	4	1	3	–
TCRS	1997–2023	14	6	8	–
Overall	1945–2023	76	31	40	5

Royal vs. Trinity rugby matches in other competitions

Note

• Match venues have been abbreviated as follows:
• Sugathadasa Stadium, Colombo as Sugathadasa
• Royal College Sports Complex, Colombo as RCSC

Tournament	Year	Captains		Date	Venue	Score		Winner
		Royal	Trinity			Royal	Trinity
R. Premadasa Trophy Quarter-finals	1987	H. A. S. Madanayake	T. Rajapakse	30 August	Sugathadasa	6	10	Trinity
R. Premadasa Trophy Quarter-finals	1993	C. R. A. Abeysuriya	N. Muhandiramge	6 September	Sugathadasa	6	9	Trinity
Milo President's Trophy Quarter-finals	2014	N. Jayawardena	T. Ratwatte	3 July	RCSC	30	29	Royal
Dialog Schools Rugby League Game Week 3	2022	H. Peiris	L. Moragoda	8 July	RCSC	20	21	Trinity
Dialog Schools Rugby League Super Round – Week 2	2024	T. Perera	R. Ilangarathne T. Dissanayaka	17 August	Sugathadasa	22	19	Royal

Notable people who have played

Royalists

• J. R. Jayawardene (Pre Bradby Era)
• Rajan Kadiragamar (Pre Bradby Era)
• Harry Goonatilake (Pre Bradby Era)
• U.N.Gunasekera (Pre Bradby Era)
• C. V. Gunaratne
• C. R. De Silva
• Ken Balendra
• Ratna Sivaratnam^[11]
• Daya Perera
• Norman Gunewardene^[12]
• S. A. Dissanayake
• Lakdasa Dissanayake
• Maiya Gunasekara
• Ajit Gunewardene

Trinitians

• Michael Kagwa Snr. (Pre Bradby Era)^{[13] [14]}
• Michael Kagwa Jnr. (Pre Bradby Era)^[15]
• Denzil Kobbekaduwa^[16]
• Duncan White
• Lakshman Kadirgamar
• Jayantha Dhanapala
  • Parami Kulatunga Kemal Deen

Community engagement programmes

The souvenir

Since 1977, the Royal College Interact Club has published the Bradby Souvenir to commemorate the encounter's Colombo leg.^[17]

Bradby express

The Bradby express was the name given to the regular Intercity Express train service offered by the Sri Lanka Railways that was packed with students and old boys from both schools on their way to the Kandy leg of the encounter - hence the name Bradby Express. It started off in the 1950s and was held yearly until the mid-1980s, when it was halted due to security concerns resulting from the intensification of the Sri Lankan Civil War and the Insurrection 1987-89.

Since the end of the Sri Lankan Civil War, a chartered train dubbed as The Bradby express has served this role, transporting Royal supporters to and from Kandy for the event.^[18]

Bradby golf

Former Royal and Trinity students compete for the G. C. Wickremesinghe Challenge Trophy, a golf tournament hosted at the Victoria Golf & Country Resort since 2016 before the Kandy leg of the event.^[19]

Notable moments in Bradby Shield history

Match and series records

Winning the encounter after losing the 1st leg	Royal	3 (1979, 1998 and 2023)
	Trinity	5 (1945, 1946, 1962, 1972 and 2011)
Winning the encounter after drawing the 1st leg	Royal	1 (1978)
	Trinity	2 (1963 and 1966)
The biggest comeback win	Royal	Lost the 1st leg 18–20 in 1998, but won the 2nd leg 42–11 and the encounter by a margin of 29 points.^[20]
	Trinity	Lost the 1st leg 25–33 in 2011, but won the 2nd leg 40–5 and overturned a deficit of 8 points to win the encounter by a margin of 27 points.^[21]
Longest winning streak	Royal	05 – From 2017 to 2023 (series suspended in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic).
	Trinity	06 – The longest winning streak in the series, between 1952 and 1957.^[22]
The highest aggregate score by a team in an encounter	Royal	83 points in 2002 is the record for the highest aggregate score by a team in the series over two legs.^[23]
	Trinity	70 points in 2012.^[24]
The highest margin of victory in an encounter	Royal	83 points in 2002 (83–0) is the highest recorded victory margin in the series over two legs.
	Trinity	56 points in 2005 (69–13).^[25]
The record for the highest score achieved by a team in a single match	Royal	49 points in 2015 2nd leg, is the highest recorded in a single match.^[26]
	Trinity	40 points in 2011 2nd leg.
The highest aggregate score achieved by both teams in a single match	75 points in 2010 1st leg, with Royal winning 38–37.^[27]
The highest aggregate score achieved by both teams in an encounter	126 points in 2010, with Royal winning 72–54.^[28]
Drawn encounters	In 1992, the Bradby encounter ended in a draw as both legs concluded with scores of 3–3 in the 1st leg and 0–0 in the 2nd leg. This marked the first time such an outcome had occurred in Bradby history. The second drawn encounter took place in 2016, with Royal winning the 1st leg 22–17 and Trinity winning the 2nd leg 18–13.^[29]

Other interesting events

• Due to security concerns stemming from the 1971 JVP Insurrection, only the 1st 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.^[8]
• Mr. and Mrs. E. L. Bradby travelled to Sri Lanka as guests of The Royal College Union in 1983 for the 2nd leg, which also happened to be the 100th rugby football match between Royal and Trinity.^[30]
• The 2nd leg match of the 2008 contest 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.^{[31] [32]}
• 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.^{[9] [10]}

See also

• Rugby union in Sri Lanka

References

1. Web site: A Passion for Rugby in an Unexpected Place. The New York Times. Stoney. Emma. 25 April 2012. 2 October 2023. 13 September 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170913141408/http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/26/sports/rugby/26iht-rugby26.html?_r=0. live.
2. Web site: Sacred to the Memory of Principal E. L. Bradby. Blue & Gold. Dissanayaka. T. D. S. A.. 13 July 2003. 6 August 2023. 12 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230312095656/http://www.worldgenweb.org/lkawgw/rcbradby.htm. live.
3. Web site: Mr. C. E. Simithraaratchy. Trinity College Kandy. 2 October 2023. 27 May 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230527235051/http://oldtrinitywebsite.com/mr-c-e-simithraaratchy/. dead.
4. Web site: Bradby. The Royal College. 2 October 2023. 12 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230312095656/https://royalcollege.lk/life-at-reid-avenue/identity-of-a-royalist/bradby/. live.
5. Web site: The Bradby Shield – Sri Lanka Schools’ Coveted Rugby Encounter. Asia Rugby. 31 July 2020. 2 October 2023. 10 July 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230710142159/https://www.asiarugby.com/2020/07/31/the-bradby-shield/. live.
6. Web site: The Beginnings of Bradby. Daily News. Marikar. Hafiz. 30 May 2019. 2 October 2023. 2 October 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231002171106/https://archives1.dailynews.lk/2019/05/30/sports/186974/beginnings-bradby. live.
7. Web site: Back in the mane game . Quadrangle . 18 April 2017 . 5 April 2024 . 2 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240402052924/https://quadrangle.lk/back-mane-game/ . live.
8. Web site: The 1971 Bradby – “The Shocker at the Rugger”. Sunday Observer. Ratnatunga. Janek. 12 June 2021. 2 October 2023. 2 October 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231002171926/https://archives1.sundayobserver.lk/2021/06/12/1971-bradby-%E2%80%93-%E2%80%9C-shocker-rugger%E2%80%9D. live.
9. Web site: Bradby Shield: a no-go. Daily News. Marikar. Hafiz. 7 November 2020. 2 October 2023. 2 October 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20231002172515/https://archives1.dailynews.lk/2020/11/07/sports/233102/bradby-shield-no-go. live.
10. Web site: Royal in a Runaway Victory, Take 1st Leg of 76th Bradby. Quadrangle. Silva. Sujith. 21 August 2022. 2 October 2023. 2 June 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230602085935/http://quadrangle.lk/royal-in-a-runaway-victory-takes-1st-leg-of-76th-bradby/. live.
11. Web site: Great buddy, born leader and thoroughly sporty helmsman. The Sunday Times. Balendra. Ken. Gunaratna. Mithila. 27 July 2008. 2 October 2023. 22 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230322122620/https://sundaytimes.lk/080727/Plus/sundaytimesplus_03.html. live.
12. Web site: Disciplined Industrialist. LMD. 8 November 2022. 2 October 2023. 12 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230312111027/https://lmd.lk/disciplined-industrialist/. live.
13. Web site: Michael Kagwa Snr (Ernest Mikaeri Kawalya Kagwa). Trinity College. Dissanaike. Gishan. 15 September 2016. 2 October 2023. 12 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230312105517/https://trinitycollege.lk/2016/09/15/michael-kagwa-snr-ernest-mikaeri-kawalya-kagwa. live.
14. Web site: Africa, Trinity and the Kagwas. Trinity College. 15 September 2016. 2 October 2023. 6 June 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230606230532/https://trinitycollege.lk/2016/09/15/africa-trinity-and-the-kagwas. live.
15. Web site: Michael Kagwa Jnr (Hamilton Michael Kagwa). Trinity College. Abeyratne. Hilary. 15 September 2016. 2 October 2023. 12 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230312105516/https://trinitycollege.lk/2016/09/15/michael-kagwa-jnr-hamilton-michael-kagwa. live.
16. Web site: Silk and Steel: Denzil Lakshman Kobbekaduwa. Trinity College. Jameel. Abidh. 22 July 2021. 2 October 2023. 12 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230312111022/https://trinitycollege.lk/2021/07/22/silk-and-steel-general-denzil-kobbekaduwa. live.
17. Web site: GlidAR creates Augmented Reality experience for 75th Bradby Shield Souvenir. Daily FT. 6 July 2019. 3 October 2023. 6 August 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230806103151/https://www.ft.lk/business/GlidAR-creates-Augmented-Reality-experience-for-75th-Bradby-Shield-Souvenir/34-681389. live.
18. Web site: The Bradby express. The Sunday Times. Ratnayake. Yasas. 20 June 2010. 3 October 2023. 23 April 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230423040846/https://sundaytimes.lk/100620/Sports/spt01.html. live.
19. Web site: Old Trinitians clinch Bradby Golf 2023. Daily FT. Jaleel. Shamseer. 20 July 2023. 3 October 2023. 22 July 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230722080458/https://www.ft.lk/sports/Old-Trinitians-clinch-Bradby-Golf-2023/23-750803. live.
20. Web site: Royal romp to record victory. The Sunday Times. Izzadeen. Saif. Seneviratne. Shane. 5 July 1998. 3 October 2023. 13 June 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230613040438/https://www.sundaytimes.lk/980705/sportsm.html. live.
21. Web site: Trinity end Royal reign. The Sunday Times. Jaleel. Shamseer. 12 June 2011. 3 October 2023. 13 April 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230413105040/https://www.sundaytimes.lk/110612/Sports/spt01.html. live.
22. Web site: David and His Lionhearts. Quadrangle. de Joodt. Ken. 26 October 2015. 3 October 2023. 9 June 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230609170535/https://quadrangle.lk/david-and-his-lionhearts/. live.
23. Web site: Trinity whipped again and Royal take 'Bradby. Sunday Observer. Abdeen. S. M. Jiffrey. 28 July 2002. 3 October 2023. 6 August 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230806111804/https://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2002/07/28/spo04.html. live.
24. Web site: Trinity retain Bradby Shield with a superb 36-20 win over Royal. Sunday Observer. Abdeen. S. M. Jiffrey. 1 July 2012. 4 February 2024. 4 February 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240204041921/https://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2012/07/01/spo03.asp. live.
25. Web site: Royal bashed again. Lions on the prowl after four long years. The Sunday Times. Jaleel. Shamseer. 25 September 2005. 4 February 2024. 23 January 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110123131738/https://www.sundaytimes.lk/050925/sports/1.html. live.
26. Web site: Royal regain Bradby Shield with rampaging 49-0 win. Sunday Observer. Walagedara. Indika. 24 May 2015. 4 February 2024. 18 April 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230418005915/https://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2015/05/24/spo01.asp. live.
27. Web site: Can Royal tame Trinity Lions in their den?. Daily News. Weerawansa. Dinesh. 26 June 2010. 3 October 2023. 9 June 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230609181341/http://archives.dailynews.lk/2010/06/26/spo01.asp. live.
28. Web site: A Right Royal Bradby Win. Sunday Observer. Abdeen. S. M. Jiffrey. 27 June 2010. 3 October 2023. 10 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230310195219/https://archives.sundayobserver.lk/2010/06/27/spo01.asp. live.
29. Web site: A Look Back at Some Memorable Bradby Games. The Sunday Times. Kuruppu. Aubrey. 5 May 2019. 3 October 2023. 10 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230310195230/https://www.sundaytimes.lk/190505/sports/a-look-back-at-some-memorable-bradby-games-347898.html. live.
30. Web site: Spirit of the Bradby is Just Amazing. The Sunday Times. Cooray. Sriyan. 31 May 2020. 3 October 2023. 10 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230310202245/https://www.sundaytimes.lk/200531/sports/spirit-of-bradby-is-just-amazing-sriyan-cooray-403950.html. live.
31. Web site: The 2019 Bradby Shield. Trinity College. Fowler-Watt. Andrew. 1 May 2019. 3 October 2023. 12 March 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230312100006/https://trinitycollege.lk/2019/05/01/the-2019-bradby-shield/. live.
32. Web site: 75th Bradby Shield, 2019 – 1st Leg. Trinity College. Jameel. Abidh. 12 June 2019. 6 February 2024. 6 February 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240206033343/https://trinitycollege.lk/2019/06/12/75th-bradby-shield-2019-1st-leg/. live.

External links

• Royal College, Colombo, Sri Lanka Official Website
• Royal Rugby Website
• Trinity College, Kandy, Sri Lanka Official Website
• Trinity Digital History
• World Rugby Museum: Points scoring through the ages