The school was inaugurated in 1978 as Janadipathy Vidyalaya and later renamed as Panadura Royal College.[9] Current students of the school are referred to in the press as Panadura Royalists.[10][11][12] The college conducts classes from grade 1 to 13 in both Sinhala and Tamil medium including English medium from grade six onwards. The college is spread across over 14 hectares (34 acres), and has a complete Information Technology Centre, facilities of over 10 scientific labs, auditoriums, Sports Complex with squash courts, basketball courts and table tennis, an international standard rugby football ground and a modern gymnasium, 2 cricket grounds and nets, swimming pool with diving facilities, along with volleyball and tennis courts.[13]
Panadura Royal College plays annual cricket Big Match with St. John's College Panadura (Royal Panadura versus St. John's Panadura). It is also called Battle of the Greens.[15] The Big Match is played for Mervyn Joseph Cooray Shield.[16]
Alumni associations
Panadura Royal College has two main alumni associations. These alumni associations play annual cricket matches against other alumni associations such as the Old Wesleyites Sports Club and the Old Johnians Old Boys Association.[17][18]
