The oval-shaped ball is getting wonky
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In the streets, it is a public outcry and traffic snarls. In another site, the weeping voices are still heard with a story about crashing Garbage Mountains. Others cry in disharmony, but think that Rugby stands out as a sport? There world revolves around a game. When people cry foul and say the Rugby field is uneven, many questions are likely to be raised.
As Round II of Schools Rugby begins, there will be much shouting and name calling. Some, because of ignorance, while some others are self inflicted. There will be little chance that somebody may say “Sorry sir”. Not that the system is that bad but, because people perceive that there is something that makes them feel that the playing field is uneven. It appears that the governing body has an affinity to the Fiji Islanders, as in the case of the players who donned the national jersey and World Rugby came down with a fine. The name of Verbula, the National XV-a-side Coach is confused by some as a Fijian, who I think was the trainer, was warned and or admonished for misconduct in the playing enclosure. Apart from the confusion with the Fijian, the issue is the time left for preparation, running up to the Asian Division I in mid May.
It does not matter whether we tie a donkey to the cart or a cart to the donkey, if the results are forthcoming. Alas, it is not, as we have seen with our performance at the “so called Rugby World Cup qualifiers”. This is indeed good, as some think, now we know where we are and could practice harder to climb to where we want to go. Don’t be negative, but look at things positively unless and until we hit the bottom.
Unfortunately, a 3-week express will not take us anywhere, as the game is played for larger stakes. Let us wait in hope that the performance of the boys will be better mid May, as we play XVs in the Division I, alongside Malaysia, UAE and Philippines. The Sunday Times learns that, despite a performance and near financial crisis, increments were approved. Take a cue from those who guide our destiny sit. Then sit uptight, shove a book and say we must have a say in School Rugby, and the Schools believe the proposed marriage is for their doing not ours.
Hickory, dickory, dock. Â
The mouse ran up the clock. Â
The clock struck one, Â
The mouse ran down, Â
Hickory, dickory, dock
According to lore, the clock has a small hole in the door below the face, for the resident cat to hunt mice. The question is, whether the presiding one in sport will hunt the mice or brush it under the carpet, like the Fiji issue and the World Rugby Fine.
A master was heard complaining that he faces a problem, as his team could not play the matches as per schedule and face
being punished and demoted to a lower League. The problem is that, they could not play all their matches though they entered the League in a lower Division. On paper, it was lower but, to the school, it was higher, as they climbed a notch above what they were in 2016. As much as 12 boys left the school, after they did well, and were seen by other schools. They entered the
Officials are often questioned by players nowadays - File pic by Amila Gamage
League with the hope of playing even with the next lot, as they had lost their best. Receiving a pummeling in their first match was bad, but worse was to come in the form of injuries to players who were from lower age groups. The parents were not interested, as the injuries were not to their liking. The major issue they face is that they will be relegated for no fault of theirs, as the going prices were not what they could afford. The grouse they have is that Rugby in the school is in tatters. Sri Lanka, for all accounts, has big plans for Rugby and the expansion of the player-base. A wag associated with the game for many years, keeps asking sarcastically, what we can do with such big numbers, when there are only 8 clubs to continue with the game. He was smiling sarcastically, as he asked in the vernacular, “are we putting the cart before the horse”.
“The Naked Ape” (1967) by renowned Zoologist Desmond Morris, considers humans as being simply another animal species. The provocative book sheds new light on our own behaviour and society, describing our ways of “feeding, sleeping, fighting, mating and rearing young”. He highlights some surprising facts that raised quite a few eyebrows in the scientific and non-scientific world. For example, Homo sapiens not only have the biggest brain of all primates, but also the largest penis, and are “the sexiest primate alive”.
Morris possibly would have to enlarge on his thesis, if he were to come or hear of Rugby Sri Lanka; there would not be any mistaken thinking that they are an animal species. What he would have to review is the other two, as definitely, the brain is not as big, but the other parts may also seem exaggerated. There is, however, the similarities of the ape uncomfortably displaying to the world, the little they have.
Vimal Perera is a former Rugby Referee, coach and Accredited Referees Evaluator IRBÂ Â Â Â