As a Prominent Sports Academy in the Island, SACK has produced huge number of National and International level Sportsmen.
St. Anthony’s College Kandy is second only to Isipathana College Colombo in producing the highest number of Rugger Players to the National Rugby Team.
During the Nineties and early 2000’s Antonians were excelling in all arenas of every sport in the Country representing numerous number of National Sports teams.
The National Cricket Team which won the World Cup in 1996 and several years years after, was represented by 6 Antonians. There were matches during those days that half of the Champion Sri Lankan Cricket team was represented by Antonians.
Such as : Muttaiah Muralidharan, Ruwan Kalpage, Nuwan Kalpage, Piyal Wijethunga and Sajith Fernando.
Apart from Cricket the Captain of the Sri Lankan National Rugby Team was held by Priyantha Ekanayake unchallenged for 10 years. And many more Antonians who represented Local and International Clubs, and the National Team.
During this Golden era of the College, SACK produced National level players for Cricket, Rugger, Basketball, Tennis, Swimming, Athletics, Table Tennis, Badminton, Chess, Weight Lifting, Gymnastics and many more sports.
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Few legends of the Academy were ;
1. Jack Anderson
2. Mahesh Gunathilake
3. Muttaiah Muralidharan
4. Ruwan Kalpage
- Represented National Cricket Team during 1992 to 1999.
- One of the best Off Spinners of that time and an all rounder, Ruwan was unlucky to be in the team during Muttaiah Muralidharan and Kumar Dharmasena who shadowed him.
- Ruwan was appointed as the Head Coach for the National Cricket Academy of Bangladesh in 2008.
- Currently he is the the Assistant Coach and Spin Bowling Coach of Bangladesh national cricket team.
- He was appointed as the assistant fielding coach of Sri Lanka till 2001, before taking over as the fielding coach. He served in that position up to 2005. He has also served as the coach of Under-15, Under-19 and Sri Lanka’s A team. Interestingly, he was even a computer analyst for the Sri Lankan team in 2004.
5. Priyantha Ekanayaka
- This 6 Feet tall Antonian played Rugby, Basketball, Cricket and represented the College Athletics Team during 1973 to 1985.
- This multitalented player represented Sri Lanka at the 7th Asian Basketball Championship in Seoul, Korea. In Korea he obtained a Diploma in Coaching Basketball from a Korean University. He represented the Country in several other Basketball tournaments.
- Priyantha played for Kandy Sports Club while he was still in School. There was no stopping the legend grooming in this lad from there on, he went on to represent Sri Lanka under-25 in 1985 which toured Taipei. Eventually by this time Priyantha was an automatic definite choice for the National squad till 1997.
- He Played for CR & FC from 1987 to 1991. And he was the Captain in 1990.
- He joined his Home Team Kandy SC again in 1992 and Captained since 1993.
- Priyantha also played for Ravense Bourne Sports Club in the Premier League and also played in Wales for Ebb Bale Province in New Zealand.
- He lead the Asian Babarians Invitation Team in 1997 which was represented by players from Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.
- Priyantha Coached the Kandy SC Team and lead it to win the inter club sevens tournament for the first time in 1999.
- Priyantha Ekanayake is considered one of the finest and deadliest Rugby players in the era, and there was no other in entire Asian region who could match him during his generation who had absolute no fear in looking directly through the opponents eyes.
He is considered as a player who never took a step back in the field. - He spent his best days in life for Rugby, and marched to the Top of the laddar making Antonians and all Sri Lankans proud, and eventually became the President of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union and Asian also the Rugby Football Union along with Dilroy Fernando.
Today Priyantha is the CEO (Chief Executive Officer) of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union.
6. Bernard Perera
- Played 8 First Class Cricket Matches representing the National Team in 1980 to 1983
- A hard-hitting batsman, toured South Africa with the controversial team in 1983. Scoring 450 runs in 6 first class matches at an average of 40.90 with the team’s only century 102 in the series.
- As the entire team which toured South Africa was banned from Cricket his career ended along with the others.
- Once the ban was lifted few years later he coached the Sri Lankan women’s National Cricket team.
7. Piyal Wijethunga
- Piyal Represented Sri Lanka National Cricket Team in 1993.
- He played 65 matches in First Class and took 161 wickets.
- Served as spin bowling coach for the Sri Lanka national team, training international players such as Rangana Herath, Tharindu Kaushal and Dilruwan Perera.
8. Imran Bisthamin
8. Nihal (Viper) Gunarathne
Nihal Gunarathne, well kown in the society as Viper” is a highly reputed Rugby Coach in the Rugby arena. He has been felicitated and awarded many times and is considered one of the few highly qualified National Coach.
Few of his achievements on his shoulders are World Rugby (IRB) Licensed Coach Educator from 2008, World Rugby (IRB) Level One Coach, World Rugby (IRB) Level 2 Coach, World Rugby (IRB) Level 3 Coach, Panel Member of the World Rugby Elite Coaching, World Rugby (IRB) Strength and Conditioning Accreditation and Certificate course in Human Resource Management, New South Wales, Australia 2004.
- Captained SACK Team in 1975 and 1976, solid in defense and attack both, was a top flanker.
- Represented Kandy SC in 1977.
- Represented Sri Lanka National Team in 1979 at the Hong Kong Sevens and at the Rugby Asiad tournaments.
- Represented CR & FC
- He worked as the Director of Coaching for Kandy SC in 1990 and 2007.
- Viper served as the Director of Rugby at St. Joseph’s College Colombo 2013,
- Consultant & Coach of S. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia in 2010,
- Serving his Alma Matter as the Director of Rugby St. Anthony’s College Kandy 2005-2008,
- Head Coach of Dharmaraja College Kandy for a span of five years through 1987-92.
- Head Coach of Sri Lanka Under-20 Rugby team in 2007.
- Head Coach of Sri Lanka National Rugby Team in 2010 and 2011
- Viper coached the Kandy Combined Schools from 2010 to 2012 and once more in 2015.
- Nihal was appointed as the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Rugby Coaching Committee for the year 2020/2022.
8. Jude Pillai
- Secretary of the Sri lanka Rugby Football Union.
