Tough bet for the Red Shirts
I was happy to see a rugby Calendar for 2016/2017 put out by the governing body. It makes it easy for planning by others involved in the game.
It lists all the rugby events for the year including the International commitments and a slot for the Mercantil Sevens. What is difficult to understand is that the Schools Calendar is not included.
Does this mean that the schools have no truck with the Union and are on a journey of their own? On the other hand schools are a constituent body of the SLRFU and need to work with the governing body as there lays the foundation for rugby. The juniors are an integral part of the game and the governing body too needs to work with the schools.
Two wheels of a train go on a track that is parallel and will never meet. Though the track never meets they carry the train to its final destination.
It is that destination that one has to consider as the most important. The future of the game as we fondly address is determined on the involvement of the juniors.
Where do they come from? It has to be the schools and at the moment there is no feed from other sources other than a few academies that are in the game.
As I have said previously after looking at the U20 sevens I think this year there will be close games within the schools division one. As seen during the sevens the patronage of supporters is high and will swell during the season.
It is also that set of dominant rugby supporter that is being ignored when a calendar does not include the schools for whatever reason it may be.
This is neither good for rugby nor the social fabric that is represented. If the positioning becomes tit for tat then it is not good and communication is a must to sort issues.
When the government is talking of peace and reconciliation sport can play an important role in the complex and long process. Sport is a good teacher and tool to fit to Galtung’s “3R’s” conflict transformation theory of Resolution, Reconciliation and Reconstruction. It happens almost daily empathizing how synergy can help build peace.
Thus the wandering in two ways is neither good for the game nor the country struggling to stay together. The problem if any starts when the head becomes to bog to don the hat.
Another interesting note is the way World Rugby handled the issue of eight players being on the field during the Pool matches in the Sydney round of the World Series Sevens.
It was observed that New Zealand had fielded eight players. The conclusion was that the breach was inadvertent breach involving a numbers of parties in involved in replacements.
The conclusion was that this was not an action that brought the game to disrepute and lying of a disciplinary charge was not appropriate.
What is important to note is how this issue was handled even despite the fact that the referee was not aware till after the conclusion of the match and therefore a sanction of an on field penalty was not issued.
What is important is how issues are handled by not only the disciplinary officer but also the controlling body and the teams involved. All is handled in the true spirit of the game and the question of bringing the game into disrepute is interpreted very carefully and not ad hoc per se as some do.
As the Club League approaches the finish line the upset that was expected to get Kandy to puff did not materialize at the end. Kandy had an early lead in the first half against Army but the consistent knock on kept them away from scoring more in the first forty minutes.
This allowed Army to comeback close to creating an upset. Again it was bad ball handling that put a stop to Army winning and the last minute forage made the score more respectable for Kandy. Yet I do not think it was a performance that they can be proud of.
This has happened to Kandy during the last few outing but they have still managed to keep their head above water.
Now it is hope that their nearest rivals Havelock’s can have. One is that CR will beat Kandy this week in Kandy. Something that CR can do considering the arms and ammunition they have.
Yet not an easy task as they have to battle in Kandy. Hope number two for Havelock’s is that CR will beat Kandy and they in turn will beat them and again in the Hills.
This is like what you see in parliament where there is so much hope pumped by the bickering of the opposition. The reality is that they are against a blind wall that has to break down. Yet getting above 3rd place is a tough bet for the red shirts but beating Kandy in their den is a matter of pride.
Vimal Perera is a former player, coach, referee and an IRB Accredited Referees’ Educator