Take a cue from the science of playing Science rugby
View(s):
Science College defied all odds stacked against them in winning the Schools Rugby Knockout Tournament. A good lesson to those who believe that performance has a linear relationship to the money spent. There is a huge investment in coaches, equipment, supplements thinking that by increasing the training load will lead to better performance. In effect I believe this over investment and over emphasis has lead to more negative impact than a positive result. This has lead to more noise than before and is much detrimental to the good name and the spirit of the game.
Science College who has come to the top through dedicated work has to take note of this as their focus should be to consolidate and not to imitate. Staying on top is more difficult than the climb to the top. Possibly a new era and another challenger have emerged in school rugby. Science College, the winners of the schools knockout proved that if you have it and you can make it. After a shaky start Science emerged as a force to be reckoned with. Surviving on a meager budget, as explained by a stalwart who has stood by, the school has shown that they can do it. The challenge ahead is much more than what you have faced so far.
The school should now focus on the game tomorrow and to keep the colours flying. Into this midst comes the odd character who gets carried away and thinks that might of shouting is what makes it right. The boys of Science College who have fought it to the top the hard way does not need ‘crap’ dropping birds flying over the joy and hard work of the players and others who have stood by. On the other hand they proved a lot with the victory when critics tried to tape down the win against Royal College. A comment that I saw on social media said, “I heard Royal did not play the full team”. I wonder what this snob would have to say now that the crown sits firmly on the heads of Science College.
The Mercantile Sevens was worked off last week and MAS Holdings retained the title beating Access for the second time in two years. The game was interesting but to me not exciting compared to what one would have expected with such stars on the field. The tournament this year was somewhat watered down as there were only five teams in the cup competition with two being from the same company. Thus at the top league there were only four companies that were actually competing. Can we really boast that rugby in Sri Lanka is on an upward climb? Talking to the Lions of Mercantile Rugby, I gathered that it was difficult to find a sponsor this year.
This is a real shame when the top dogs in the corporate world talk so much about corporate social responsibility. If you walk the talk on CSR that is in most annual reports the participation in sports of mercantile sector employees should have been caught in your radar. Events like Mercantile Rugby are an opportunity for prompting welfare of the employee through sports and fellowship. Possibly we do not think that way as spending on sport is more long term and associated with wealth maximization of the firm. What is more likely to get attention in spending is the short term effort in profit maximization and spending on a political effort is more beneficial. Another thing I noticed is the same faces doing a lot of work on getting Mercantile Rugby going. They are keen and interested in the event and the question is about the future. Would the corporate be worried about this; not at all because the social responsibility is defined differently?
Another issue that I have come across is the frustration that is manifest through either grumbling of by physical violence when a team loses a game. The coaches are the first line grumblers sighting frustration in not winning because of the referee. For 90% of the game you play in a way that you will not win the game. Missed tackles, forward passes, knock on and wrong options dominate a game. But you need to shift the blame or else there will be a hole drilled in your pocket or the pocket removed. The actions of coaches as well as those in management committees allow the followers to react even if they do not understand what it is all about. It does not stop at that and at times leads to chairs and stones thrown among rival spectators as happened in the recent schools knockout final. Not to be out done the next day the crowds that ran into the field after the Premier Trophy final traded insults and blows. This is a shame to the game and the school and insult to the players who are battling out in a game that is physical. The words of truth came from a lady teacher who along with other staff members was watching the Premier Trophy final. As the gap in scores closed and tension and noise grew she said to her colleague “now the fun will start and then we will see bottles and chairs thrown about. These stupid adults are a disgrace to the school”.
* Vimal Perera is a former player, coach, referee and an IRB Accredited Referees’ Educator