Science College beat defending champions Wesley College 29-5 in the Cup final of the All Island Under-16 Elite Ten-a-Side Rugby Championship 2026, which concluded at the St. Peter’s College ground in Bambalapitiya.
The win reversed the previous year’s result. Science had finished runners-up to Wesley in 2025, and returned this season with an attacking game built on ball movement that carried them through the tournament before the convincing final performance.
Route to the final
Science reached the decider with a 22-0 win over St. Peter’s College in the Cup semi-finals. Wesley came through the other half of the draw more narrowly, edging St. Anthony’s College 14-12.
Malindu Munasinghe of Science College was named Best Player of the Tournament after a central role in his side’s campaign.
Kandy schools take the other three trophies
The three Kandy schools in the competition each went home with silverware. Trinity College took the Plate, beating Royal College 12-5 in the final. Dharmaraja College won the Bowl with a 14-12 result against Isipathana College, the same margin by which Wesley had won their Cup semi-final.
Vidyartha College were the most emphatic of the three, completing a dominant Shield campaign with a 34-0 win over Sri Piyarathne College in the final. Vidyartha had reached that final by beating Mahanama 12-7, while Sri Piyarathne got there with a 10-5 win over Lumbini College.
The ten-a-side format, played on a full field with reduced numbers, is a regular fixture on the schools calendar and typically serves as an early-season form guide ahead of the fifteen-a-side league.