Rugby doldrums continue as incompetent SLR warm chairs
One of the last pictures of an active game of rugby played during February in 2020 - FIle pic by Amila Gamage
Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) chieftain Rizly Illyas merrily presented a comprehensive and promising plan of restarting competitions from August with a two-legged domestic 7s and three Asian tournaments soon after its annual general meeting held on May 29. But by now it looks as if nothing is certain after all.
With SLR failing to implement its worksheet planned for 2020 and in the early phase of this year, they have discussed the possibility of playing at least two instalments of the Inter-Club Rugby 7s before hosting two legs of the Asia Rugby Men’s and Women’s 7s Series during September and October, followed by the Asian Rugby Under-19 Championship during November.
All these tournaments, conducted by Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU), were planned to be held at the Racecourse ground in Colombo under strict health measures, with an overarching goal of winning a medal at the Asian Games 2022. But according to Asia Rugby Executive Committee Member and Competitions Committee Chairman, Asanga Seneviratne the regional competitions have the least possibility of reaching the shores of Sri Lanka, as hosts.
“It’s not going to happen. First SLR must have the local tournaments. There were discussions, but from ARFU’s point of view the two legs, they will be played in Dubai in December soon after the Dubai International 7s,” Seneviratne confirmed to the Sunday Times.
SLR missed out a golden opportunity to restart rugby after its inept approach in forcing the cancellation of the Commander’s Cup 7s, an event organised to coincide the 70th anniversary of Sri Lanka Air Force. The tournament was to be held in two instalments, on March 20 and 21, followed by March 26 and 27 at the Air Force ground in Ratmalana. The reason for the cancellation was said as the then rising state of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it was evident that SLR made certain blind-side moves in organising the competition and sponsorships, which was solely managed by the Air Force.
Air Force had all players and officials in a bio bubble after separate bubbles and individual quarantine phases of those who were to be part of the competition, but eventually all were dismissed after entering its final safe zone in Ratmalana, days prior to the competition.
“The Commander Cup 7s was the best platform, if SLR genuinely wanted to restart rugby. Only the forces have the ability to conduct such an event under the present surroundings. They have the logistics, manpower and infrastructure to run such a competition. For unknown reasons SLR made a wrong move, it was a golden opportunity wasted. Now it’s hard to make a comeback,” an expert of the sport, who wished to remain unnamed, said.
Last week, adding salt to the already battered wound, Sri Lanka 7s skipper Danush Dayan and several other players, mostly of national status, made humble pleas through social media of the lack of competitions locally and most importantly about most players losing the livelihoods.
“It’s pointless doing individual training, whereas rugby is team sport. As players we wonder why authorities have not made, even the slightest attempts, to start training of the national squad, because players need to connect as a unit. We really don’t know what to anticipate,” Dayan pleaded in a video that went viral over the past week on social media platforms.
“Hopefully with the blessings of the Minister of Sports, Namal Rajapaksa and the Chairman of High Performance Committee Mahela Jayawardene, we will be able to commence our high performance programme with our Men’s and Women’s players contracted year round for residential training. Our goal is winning medals at the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games,” Illyas told the Sunday Times, a fortnight ago following the AGM.
But his confidant and former SLR administrator, Seneviratne, who is now one of the top decision makers at ARFU thinks otherwise.
“I think it’s critical that SLR should come with a proper plan to a restart competitions, specially school’s rugby. You are penalizing the children for no reason, club rugby can be always played. SLR should initiate a plan consulting the medical experts and should work in cohesion with the Schools Section,” Senevirante added.
“Immediately they should look at starting rugby locally, before thinking of hosting regional or international competitions. Besides that the rugby skipper and other players have made a genuine plea and SLR should seriously look into it. It all connects end of the day”.
Meanwhile ARFU has made plans to introduce ‘Sub Regional’ competitions as a lead up to international competitions for nations and players from the Asia region. Under that ARFU released an adjusted competitions calendar for 2021 to introduce five Sub Regions 7s competitions providing meaningful opportunities for participation to all its 34-member unions each in its respective sub-regional competition.
“Taking into consideration the travel restrictions and after taking advice from the Asia Rugby Players Welfare and Medical Committee, the Asia Rugby Competitions Committee felt that Sub-Regional cross border 7s competitions are the best option for ‘Return to Play’ and for starting the international calendar,” Seneviratne, as ARFU’s Executive Committee Member and Competitions Committee Chairman, stated.
Locally, rugby remains as one of the few sports, if not perhaps the only, to refrain from getting back to the field, while almost all other famous sports, such as cricket, football, boxing, badminton, tennis and shooting, to name a few, have conducted tournaments during the past 12 months.