Next schools rugby season in a new format
The Secretary of the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association (SLSRFA), Susantha Mendis said that the Schools League for 2014 will bring a totally different setup. He explained the proposed format to the Sunday Times and said that they welcome comments to help to improve the tournaments.
The Under-20 Schools Rugby Division I will comprise two groups to be known as the ‘top half’ and the ‘bottom half’. The Division II tournament will be played separately and will consist of new or emerging teams.
According to the proposed structural change, many teams will come across the possibility of winning a title. - File pic
There will be 32 teams in Division I. It will comprise the 32 teams that are currently classed as groups A, B and C plus two teams to be promoted from Division II A. These will then be grouped as top half comprising the first 16 teams and the bottom half consisting the other 16 teams. Ranking of the teams for 2014 will be according to the league standing of 2013. Thereafter it will be on performance with the 2015 ranks depending on how teams fared in 2014 and so forth in the subsequent years.
These 16 teams will then be divided into four groups. Team in a group will play each other and will have to play three matches. The first two in each group will be selected and will play a ‘Super League’ which will comprise eight teams. If a team has played a team of the group of eight they will not have to play again and the points of the preliminary round will be carried forward.
“This is similar to what happened in the World Cup Cricket,” Mendis explained.
The third and fourth teams of each group in the preliminary rounds will play another round of league matches for the Plate championship. Similarly the teams ranked from 17 to 32 will play for the Bowl and Shield titles. The number of matches will be three from the preliminary round and six in the super league, plate bowl or shield as applicable.
The preliminary round is expected to begin in March and continue to finish so that all tournaments including knockouts are completed by the end of June or early July. This system, Mendis believes, will sort out the problem of teams attempting to win by any means and avoid relegation. Relegation will be for the 15th and 16th placed teams and promotion for the first and second of the bottom league.
The expected groups in the league will have four teams in each of four, based on their performances in the 2013 league season. The Group A will field the teams seeded 1, 8, 11 and 14 while Group B will include the 2, 7, 11 and 14 seeded teams. Group C will include teams seeded 3, 6, 12 and 16 while 4, 5, 10 and 15 ranked teams will play in Group D.
The President’s Trophy Knockout Tournament will consist of the first six schools of the top league and the first two of the Plate competition. Similarly it avoids clashes of the Royal-Trinity encounter, which is always played in June, having to be played in the preliminary rounds.
The proposed preliminary round will also give the added benefit of a team being gauged on the current team and not last year’s team.
All seems good on paper, and the secretary said that there will not be a fight for the first ten to avoid demotion. He however stressed that there may be issues at the ‘Super League Stage’ which has to be avoided by the relevant schools who in the case of breach will have to face hard disciplinary sanctions.
The Minister of Sports in the meantime announced that approval has been given for the Schools Rugby Association to work with the parent body for the improvement of the game. Rugby experts opine that this move will help manage the game better and will benefit all involved.
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