Bradby Shield Encounter

The Bradby Shield
SportRugby union
First meeting1945 (1945)
  • Trinity 6, Royal 3
Latest meeting2024
  • Trinity 42, Royal 39
Next meeting79th encounter
  • 23 August 2025 (first leg)
  • 6 September 2025 (second leg)
Stadiums
TrophyThe Bradby Shield
Statistics
Meetings total78
All-time seriesTrinity leads, 40–36–2
Largest victoryRoyal, 83–0 (2002)
Longest win streakTrinity, 6 (1952–1957)
Current win streakTrinity, 1 (2024)
40km
25miles
4
3
2
1
Location Map
1
Royal College
2
Royal College Sports Complex
3
Trinity College
4
Trinity College Rugby Stadium

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.