Bradby Shield Encounter
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.
Royal College
Trinity College
| |
| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| First meeting | 1945 Trinity 6, Royal 3 |
| Latest meeting | 2023 Royal 37, Trinity 30 |
| Next meeting | 2024 |
| Stadiums | Royal College Sports Complex Trinity College Rugby Stadium |
| Trophy | The Bradby Shield |
| Statistics | |
| Meetings total | 77 |
| All-time series | Trinity leads, 39–36–2 |
| Largest victory | Royal, 83–0 (2002) |
| Longest win streak | Trinity, 6 (1952–1957) |
| Current win streak | Royal, 5 (2017–present) |
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.