Now to follow the Under-20 success
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Sri Lankan U 20 Sevens create history is a phrase that screamed after the juniors were crowned overall winners after the two leg Asian Sevens series. What is more important is not the writing of history but to plan as we have the men and material.
History is in my view is not the best word to describe the performance as it is the future we should be looking for. History at most times remains a record and more often fills dustbin. You could learn many things from history. Some of those would be more practically useful, in terms of contributing to the normal and decent functioning of well-meaning societies than others. That is what needed in understanding the performance of the juniors. It is another stepping stone to success and the satisfaction that there is a feed to keep sevens rugby going.
In the recent past the Sri Lankan National sevens team has had a decent run in Asia, a run that we could be proud of and has maintained. The future of rugby Sri Lanka being in sevens is something the current President of the SLRFU Asanga Seneviratne has been talking. It has not been talk alone but has been walking the talk.
It is in the midst this Glory and the Asian Sevens series in the horizon that a super seven was played during two weekends. Played at the picturesque Race Course it provided entertaining rugby while the surroundings were good to attract crowds. Whatever name you call it what I think is that Sri Lanka needs more sevens rugby. May be some may say that with the 15-a-side game on we should not play sevens rugby. However, if there is more and more sevens we may build a team of players that are sevens specialists and take the game forward. This is because that is where the Future is and that is where more entertainment can be included.
Another reason for more sevens is so that the sevens culture can be improved and we will see less and less of contact. There was also a more numbers of scrums and line outs as compared to what you see in world rugby.
Sevens is like Gunslingers chancing their arm. Japan beating New Zealand in the new Olympic sport was indeed a revelation. Japan shocked the world as it won its first ever sevens win over the All Blacks. Japan continued to the semi-final beating France along the way. Fiji made history with nation’s first-ever Olympic medal. Fiji won gold, Great Britain silver and South Africa bronze while Japan was fourth.
Interest for sevens has been high and with the Olympics, opportunity gets bigger. The interest will soar at both the highest level and grassroots. What holds in Asia after the stunning performance of Japan is an opportunity to be explored. No doubt, the bigger countries like India and China will be enthused into the game. However, do not expect it to happen overnight. This where the smaller Sri Lanka can get the ball rolling and be like Fiji aspiring to be the kings of sevens in Asia.
The corporates will be looking at tournaments and need to get ahead and make it happen. There will be money and the game it should not be the two-leg tournament played once a year. Now that that corporates have committed despite the change of name and men behind the game has to continue. Sevens taken to the provinces and the grass roots and to junior age groups and has to be with the help of the schools. This is a reality a when you look at the emerging schools that play rugby at a lower level. Yet, without a proper structure and skills we are finding it difficult to field numbers for a 15-man team. But numbers for a sevens team less the game being shorter and over may be in a week end the cost is less the entertainment more and greater opportunity for sponsors to come in.
It is therefore up to the people who are involved to think of the growing interest in sevens world over and market the opportunity. As I said before following the success of Japan there will be a bigger interest in the largely populated Asian Nations. There will be a demand, as corporates will look for tournaments. Sri Lanka in most aspects of the Sevens game are ahead of the bigger populated Asian Countries. When these countries and I believe, it will be soon run their tournaments like done in Sri Lanka. Our players may be in demand and that will come with a price tag.
Talking about the Under 14 Schools rugby, I wrote in this column “I cannot say the same thing of the team Management of St Peters. On Day one, the matches started late as there were delays with the arrival of some outstation teams. Kingswood travelling from Kandy had arrived a little later. The organizers requested Peters to give Kingswood a little time to settle and for Peters to play their match before the Kings match. It was no.
St. Peters as they told me was interested, as they wanted to know and address if anything was amiss. Having inquired they told me that it was not an outright no but it happened the team had not warmed up, as the organizers did not inform them in time .They asked for a time to warm up. If true, the organizers must take note, as these are matches played by juniors. Whatever: the column appreciates the interest to put to right if anything was wrong.
* Vimal Perera is a former player, coach, referee and an IRB Accredited Referees’ Educator