Fazil Marija
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| Born | 4 December 1985 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 85 kg (13 st 5 lb) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| School | Kingswood College, Kandy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rugby union career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Fazil Marija (born 4 December 1985) is a former rugby union player of Sri Lanka. Marija is known as one of Sri Lanka's finest rugby union players and one of Asia's best.[according to whom?] He was the former captain of the Sri Lanka national rugby union team. Marija comes from a sporting family background, with at least 17 members through two generations having represented various Clubs, Services Teams and National Rugby teams during the past four decades. Marija hails from the hill capital Kandy.
Marija retired from rugby union after the Clifford Cup knockouts, and his last match at Nittawela grounds was played on 11 February 2018.[1][2] In 2019 Marija was appointed as the head coach of Kandy SC[3] In November 2022, he was appointed as the head coach of Trinity College 1XV rugby team for a period of three years.[4]
Marija mastered his Rugby skills at Kingswood College, Kandy which is the first school to introduce schoolboy rugby to Sri Lanka back in the 1890s. Marija, represented his college teams from U-13 to U-20. He played for College 1st XV in 2003 as a fly half, and went on to lead them for an unbeaten triple championship in year 2004 as the captain of Kingswood College 1st XV.[5] Marija became the best Schoolboy player in the Singer International 7's Tournament and also the Golden Key Schools 7's tournament, where Kingswood College won both Championships under his captaincy.
U-16 Rugby Career
Marija first represented Sri Lanka in year 2000. In that year he toured for the first time with Sri Lanka National U 16 team for the Junior Rugby Asiad. While still at school, in 2003 he was called up by Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) to be on the starting lineup at the match against touring Hong Kong at Nittawela Rugby Stadium, Kandy.[6] In 2004, Marija commenced Club Rugby career by representing Kandy Sports Club in their 2nd round match against Havelocks Sports Club at Nittawela Stadium. He also went on to represent the Kandy SC in the Clifford Cup Knock out tournament matches in the same year. To date, he continues to represent Kandy Sports Club and during this period Kandy Sports Club went on to dominate the Rugby Headlines in Sri Lanka Rugby by winning the League and Knockout Tournaments continuously. He was adjudged ‘Most Promising Player of the Year -2004’ at the Caltex/Observer Rugby Awards at the end of the season. All this he did while he was still a school boy at Kingswood College. He went on to captain his Club, Kandy Sports Club, in 2010 Club Rugby season.