IRB keen to take oval ball to North
View(s):An adventurous journey taking you off the beaten track to places was the experience as explained by Sanath Martis the SLRFU National Development Coach. Sports is picking up in the North and the first major cricket tournament in the war affected Northern part of Sri Lanka was played in May. The Jaffna Premier league popularly known as the JPL brought together cricket teams from all over Jaffna. Soccer, Hockey, Basketball and Athletics have staged sporting events in the past and is ready to go again.
SLRFU Development coach Sanath Martis and rugby promoter Kularathinam briefing the young rubgy enthusiasts in Jaffna.
“It is much hoped that rugby will take a hold in the North with the Oval Ball attracting attention and taking the place of other objects they flung and kicked in the past. North is new terrain and there won’t be anybody who may say when I grew up my dad brought me to the game. But who knows may be somebody would say so in the future,” was what Nihal ‘Viper’ Gunaratne, the veteran IRB educator had to say.
Rugby is ready to take off with increased enthusiasm said IRB Educators Viper Gunaratne, Sanath Martis and Ananda Kasthuriacrhchi who were in the North for a three-day programme in the second week of December to conduct coaching camps in Jaffna, Kayts and Killinochcchi.
The programme goes along with the growing enthusiasm for the game among boys and the keen on Physical Training Instructors of the Schools. Following previous groundwork Martis and company have encouraged the formation of the Northern Schools Rugby Football Association. The Rector of St. John’s College Jaffna, Rev. Fr. Gnanaponraj is the President and Fr. James the Principal of St. Anthony’s College Kayts is the Vice President.
The new association hopes to get affiliated to the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association and conduct a provincial rugby tournament. Viper, Martis and Kastro speaking to the Sunday Times explained that this was a new learning experience to them as well as the trainee coaches – as there was almost no knowledge of rugby in the peninsula and the promoters need to understand the language of rugby and the people.
Previously in 2011 former National Coach Ellis Meachen, Kasthuriarachchi and Viper Gunaratne visited Jaffna as a result of the project undertaken by SLRFU Rugby Development and Education Ministry. SLRFU development co-chairman Nalin de Silva and schools coordinator K.S.P. Karunaratne were men behind the project named ‘Rugby Ready’. This was followed by another programme by Takoshi Ohara (Japan Rugby Development Officer) and Martis.
“The present programme is to take the game ahead by leading coaches to be IRB certified in the future,” explained Martis who plays a dual role as an educator and the SLFRU National Development Coach.
Following the introduction of rugby in the North in 2011 a team from St. Anthony’s Kayts travelled to Rathgama and played in the schools Under-18 Division ‘B’ tournament. Subsequently St. John’s Jaffna took part in the Under-14 Division ‘B’ played in Piliyandala and beat two schools from the Western Province in the Preliminary Round matches.
The livewire in the promotion of rugby in the North is Kularathinam, affectionately known as ‘Rajan’- was the Jaffna District hockey captain in 1983 – had worked previously with the SLRFU during the era of war. Rajan, a great supporter is more important as the translator and is a very optimistic about the kick off of rugby.
- VP
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