Tharinda Ratwatte

Tharinda Ratwatte also known as Ashan Ratwatte (born 12 December 1995) is a Sri Lankan rugby union and sevens player who plays as a fly-half.^[1] His father Ashan Ratwatte was also a rugby union player having played for both Kandy SC and Ceylonese Rugby & Football Club.^[2] His granduncle Anuruddha Ratwatte was a politician.

Tharinda Ratwatte

Date of birth	(1995-12-12) 12 December 1995 (age 28)
School	Trinity College, Kandy
Rugby union career
Position(s) fly half Senior career Years Team Apps (Points) 2014-2018 Ceylonese RFC () 2019-present Kandy SC () International career Years Team Apps (Points) Sri Lanka National sevens team Years Team Comps Sri Lanka

Career

He captained Trinity College rugby team in 2014 and soon after schooling he joined Ceylonese Rugby & Football Club.^[3] In 2014, he was appointed as the captain of the Sri Lankan Youth rugby team for the Junior World Rugby Tournament (JWRT) – Asian edition.^[4]

He was named in Sri Lankan men's rugby sevens squads for both the 2018 Commonwealth Games and 2018 Asian Games.^[5][6][7] Sri Lanka would eventually finish at fourth position in men's rugby sevens tournament during the 2018 Asian Games thereby narrowly missing out on a bronze medal after going down 36-14 to South Korea in bronze medal 3rd place match while Sri Lanka finished at fifteenth position in men's rugby sevens tournament at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.^[8]

He joined Kandy SC in 2019 after playing for Ceylonese Rugby and Football Club for four years.^[9][10] He was the top points scorer in the Dialog Rugby League 2019/20 with 123 points including 3 tries and 42 conversion points.^[11][12]

He was included in 110 member Sri Lankan contingent for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.^[13][14][15] He scored a try against New Zealand during the opening game of the 2022 Commonwealth Games men's rugby tournament.^[16] It was the first try to be scored by Sri Lanka against New Zealand in rugby sevens at Commonwealth Games and Ashan also became only the second Sri Lankan after Sudath Sampath to score a try against New Zealand in any forms of rugby.^[17][18]

Arrest

In June 2020, he was arrested and remanded for his involvement in an accident at Thummula junction which led to killing of a police officer attached to the State Intelligence Services.^[19][20][21]

References

1. "Tharinda Ratwatte | ThePapare Stats Center Rugby". stats.thepapare.com. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
2. "Winning Bradby is icing on the cake – Ashan Ratwatte". Times Online - Daily Online Edition of The Sunday Times Sri Lanka. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
3. "Tharindra Ratwatte to lead Trinity rugby in 2014 | The Sundaytimes Sri Lanka". Retrieved 31 July 2022.
4. "Tharinda Ratwatte leads Sri Lanka Youth team | Daily FT". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
5. Rugby, Asia (24 August 2018). "Sri Lanka want to strike gold at 2018 Asian Games". Asia Rugby. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
6. "Rugby Sevens | Athlete Profile: Ashan RATWATTE - Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games". results.gc2018.com. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
7. bugsbunny (25 August 2018). "Sri Lanka want to strike gold at 2018 Asian Games". Colombo Gazette. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
8. "Rugby Sevens | Results Men's Pool Round - Pool D - Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games". results.gc2018.com. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
9. "Ratwatte: The hot favourite of any team". Sunday Observer. 8 February 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
10. "Tharinda to cross over to Kandy | Daily FT". www.ft.lk. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
11. Marikar, Hafiz. "Tarinda Ratwatte ends as season's highest scorer". Daily News. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
12. Caffoor, Inshaf (21 March 2020). "Kandy's new driver; Tarinda Ratwatte". ThePapare.com. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
13. "Soori Leads Tuskers to Commonwealth Games". www.dailymirror.lk. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
14. "Sri Lanka rugby squad announced for Commonwealth and Asian Games". The Morning - Sri Lanka News. 25 April 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
15. "Sri Lanka rugby Sevens team for Commonwealth Games". Sunday Observer. 22 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
16. "WATCH : Sri Lanka's Try against All Blacks at CG Games". NewsWire. 29 July 2022. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
17. Today, Ceylon (29 July 2022). "Tuskers face humiliating defeats". Ceylon Today. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
18. Sportstar, Team (30 July 2022). "Commonwealth Games 2022 Day 1 Best Moments: From India vs Australia WT20I to 14-year-old Anahat Singh". sportstar.thehindu.com. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
19. "Tharinda Ratwatte adds to growing list of sportsmen in trouble with the Law". Sunday Observer. 20 June 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
20. "Defender Driver who caused accident killing SIS Officer, remanded". Sri Lanka News - Newsfirst. 15 June 2020. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
21. "Thummulla fatal accident: Law student granted bail". Times Online - Daily Online Edition of The Sunday Times Sri Lanka. Retrieved 31 July 2022.