Rugby is a popular sport that has inspired many children to take up the game, but is increasing risk of serious injury a cause for concern? Information received is that Wasim Bawa a promising allround sportsman and an excellent rugby player may be lost to the game forever. The reason is possibly that he continued [...]

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Acting wisely on professional safety standards

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Rugby is a popular sport that has inspired many children to take up the game, but is increasing risk of serious injury a cause for concern? Information received is that Wasim Bawa a promising allround sportsman and an excellent rugby player may be lost to the game forever. The reason is possibly that he continued to play with an injury. Is it that rugby is a risk or that those involved do not pay attention to playing the game safe.

Last week this column talked about the keen interest of the SLRFU as well as the Sports Medicine Unit to enforce safety aspects in

Authorities should be more concerned about player safety.

rugby. Safety is a prerequisite that is being emphasized by the IRB. The interest to inculcate the importance of safety as mentioned was to work with the Masters, Coaches, Players as well as parents. While the risk is there in the senior game as contact becomes more intense the safe game will help the young who have shown much interest.

Research shows that most injuries to children occur early in the season, when they go up an age group to the next level, at the beginning of the school year. It is at this point you have to make sure your the child is aware of the changes in the laws of the game for their new age group. Talk to the coach if you are concerned, children don’t fully understand them.

A process has to be in place to see that that the people who train the child are qualified coaches. The system should discourage screaming from the touchline. Words such as kill him, hit him should be discouraged. Behaving responsibly on the touchline is important as we see rowdy parents, old boys as well as coaches screaming at children during matches.

Don’t shout. If you want to get involved, take a course in coaching or refereeing and get properly involved. A sign of sportsmanship is to encourage all the children not just yours. Rugby is a team sport. Be sportsmanlike and help them all to improve. Many injuries occur because players don’t spend enough time and effort warming up. If the child is not warming up properly, it may be worth discussing it with the coach.

All this is good as the idea of emphasizing the safety aspect is a step in the right direction. The question that arises is how this will be achieved in the schools. This requires working closely with the schools involved. This however will not be an easy task as the schools appear to be moving away from the guidance of the governing body. The open pronouncement of acolytes who listen and go home has been that we are not guided by the governing body or the IRB. The truck with the Governing Body has been erased while repeated comments are made that the schools are under the Education Ministry and walking the way excluding the recognition of IRB its regulations and guidelines.

The inculcation of the game in the right spirit is not for him. The schedule for 2013 is out and Science College complains that they are in 7th place below Kingswood and St. Josephs’- two teams they beat during the league and had three wins each. Science College insiders allege that by adding points to the school that lost to Vidyartha has allowed Kingswood to climb to 5th position though they have only 3 wins as compared to 4 by the Mount School. The adding of points for the Vidyartha match made the difference while Science remained where they are as they had already beaten the school that broke the rules. They ask why only the Master-in-charge of Vidyartha was suspended while President of the SLSRFA and the other party who was involved in the initial inquiry which cleared Vidyartha are allowed to go free. They were also guilty for having brought the game into disrepute alleges rugby enthusiasts.
It is not far off when the schools season is due to begin and there are others who threaten legal action. It won’t be science who will do it as they are a school that is cash strapped and cannot afford confrontation. Their history has been supplying the game with some quality players but has not been able to make a mark as a team. They have begun to do that in the last two years. Having gone through hard times and be treated badly is nothing new to the school and old boys that have rallied around. The way things are handled in a cruel way is also an issue of safety. Wellbeing and sportsmanship is for Science and not for others.

While most school masters complain but wish to remain silent it does not appear that DS Senanayake has stopped the proceedings and has appealed to the Education Ministry Sports Council. Will it be another additional team to cover up the sins of not following procedure? This will mean that the whole schedule might have to be reworked.

In another section of sport in schools two leading schools have withdrawn from the schools tournament and have made some masters think whether a similar situation might arise in rugby. That will happen if the system goes the way it goes on the basis that we are Colonels and when commanded; follow.

It sure will be an interesting start for the season in February. That is after the tour to Bangkok for the officials to rest and recuperate after a hard year’s work. This too is raising eyebrows among some as the proposed under 16 tournament was not played citing lack of funds. The much publicized statement of an awards night without delay has not been kept to. Is it the lack of funds that has postponed the event or that the tired members of the committee need a rest?

- Vimal Perera is a former Rugby Referee, coach and Accredited Referees Evaluator IRB




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