The feeling of playing and dancing rugby…
View(s):The Dialog league was annexed by Kandy Sports Club after a not so grueling battle against the Havelock’s Sports Club. The abode for the cup was known before the final match. Havelock’s though having no chance of laying their hands on the cup was in a mood that was not to give up easily. The battle lines were drawn early in the presence of a huge Kandy supporter base. The score at half was Kandy leading by 10 points to 5 but at the end of the day the scores sat at Kandy 28 Havelock’s 5. With the fourteenth win of the season Kandy remained unbeaten this year. CR meanwhile were scared to the last minute by bottom laying Air Force who they managed to beat by 19 points to 17 to nestle themselves in third place. Navy got the better of last placed CH to cement the position as fourth. Police beat Army and secured fifth place which makes them to play Army in the first of the knock-out quarter-finals.
Kandy during the last 20 years has dominated Lanka rugby and has an impressive record of almost equal number of title wins during this period. History records Kandy was founded in 1874 five years prior to CH (1879) one of the oldest clubs now swimming at the bottom of the barrel in league rugby. Speaking to officials of CH who were present at their last outing against Navy, the possibility exists that CH may not play in the knock-out competition. The few die hard supporters who may be counted using the fingers of the two hands are hopeful that they will be able to field a team.
In 1874 it was a group of expatriate Coffee Planters that formed Kandy Athletic, Boating, Cricket Football and Dancing club. In 1888 it became Kandy Sports Club that embraced the game of Rugby and Hockey. They are now dancing on the rugby field. Kandy has in the last quarter of a century of rugby on Sri Lanka dominated the sports to an extent that they always virtually have been the toast as well as the jinx of the rugby community. It is not always that the good word has been used to describe the performance but at times various connotations have resulted. Navy, Havelock’s CR as well as Army has been the clubs that have come close to threatening Kandy supremacy. CH was in this league many years ago but can now only recall the good times they had.
The important lesson that has to be learnt from the performance of Kandy is to start asking why they have been able to sustain the winning streak. What are the lessons that others can learn so that the competition gets better at least next year. Talking of more competition it is a worry why the top teams cannot field good teams in the B and C league. Army, with a number of teams, dominates the participation at the lower leagues. Does it mean that it is only the Army who are widening the interest and participation of the game? The teams from Army include many outstation units as well as outstation players. Going back to the success of Kandy may be reasons of strategy and structure that is in place. The need for a second league cannot be emphasised as the numbers leaving school seem to be fading away after the season.
A sour note on Rugby in the hills is the lack of participation of teams in the lower division despite that the following for rugby being huge. Out of the top rugby playing schools in the top division there is Trinity, Kingwood, St. Anthony’s and Dharmaraja who have always been among the best. The question however is why there is no participating clubs? Kandy too despite having dominated the local scene for many years does not field a side at the lower division. I do think that the top rugby playing clubs should seriously think of fielding second strings as they have the facilities and structure to do so. The excuse more often is the lack of funds.
The game that was once been spread wide in many provinces seems to be dead or some just meandering along. Revival of the game in these areas has to be in the form of community rugby which is what India seems to be doing.
The development of the game on the other hand to start with requires the top clubs to start promoting a second string which can take in at least another 200 players from whom a few will shine to play in the top team. Rugby Sri Lanka stands at a level above most in Asia and the continuous polishing is what will keep them there. The competition is provided by the SLRFU in the form of many tournaments. The governing can only provide the horse but it cannot be left with the task of making it drink. That opportunity must be taken by the clubs who should start making the horse to drink.
* Vimal Perera is a former player, coach, referee and an IRB Accredited Referees’ Educator