Football was introduced to the Royal College in 1895. The performances were poor, and with the introduction of Hockey and Rugby, the school gave up on the game in 1927. The reintroduction of football into the College followed the sport’s rise to the premier sport in the world.
The Blue Derby, played against S. Thomas’ College Mount Lavinia, began in 1994. The Royal College, captained by Haritha Gajanayake, won the Blue Derby with a record of 3-0.
The Royal-Mahinda Football Encounter started in 1984, but wasn’t played between 2004 and 2013
The Royal-Trinity Football Encounter for the J.R. Jayawardene Memorial Trophy, started in 2017. The first encounter ended in a goalless draw.