Harris Omar representing another generation was among those who took office of the Council of the SLRFU for 2008. I did write that it was the signal for others of this band to start getting involved. Omar has now been assigned the task of being Chairman of the Development Committee, which fell vacant with the resignation of Asanga Seneviratne. Harris Omar who played for Kandy Sports Club and Sri Lanka captained both teams.

He has the distinction of captaining all teams at National level: Under 19, Under Twenty Four and the National Team. Having played and captained Sri Lanka at a young age Harris also pursued his academic and professional career during this time. Harris has a degree in management from the London School of Economics and has also been awarded a degree in textile management from the University of Melbourne. He has also followed executive devolvement studies in prestigious INSEAD and the National University of Singapore and is presently employed in the MAS group of companies. Possibly reading up to this time might make you wonder why I am saying this. Today development of sport let alone rugby is no easy task. People prefer pushing their children to book learning from the time when they are in year five. Tuition, tuition and more tuition is the culture in our society. Any extra curricular activities rarely have a place in ones timetable. All of Harris’ achievements have been before he reached thirty years.

The tuition culture that has hit us in the recent past have put a lot of pressure on sports activities. (Pic by J. Weerasekera)

What better ambassador can you have to take message to the Mamas and Papas? You could play at the highest level while achieving excellence as a sportsman and being academically and professionally qualified. That will also land you with a job in a top-level company in a top slot. There are others in the rugby fraternity who has a similar background of excellence in sports and studies. Savantha De Saram a current national selector is one of them. There are others on the sidelines who I am sure will take up the challenge in years to come.

Tenth of August is the day the SLRFU celebrates one hundred years of existence within 130 years of Rugby in Sri Lanka while the SLRFU will hold a meeting at the same venue of GOH on that date . Setting a new chapter in moving ahead the development committee under its chairman will also meet on the same day to map out the Strategy for 2009. In the hands of the young and capable, I hope the start will lead the way for many god things.

Development is an area that has to do a lot with the future of the game. That is where the money is spent. That is where the young raw talent emerges especially from the outstations. The facts on Sri Lanka on the IRB website read as follows. There are 30 clubs playing rugby and it has a population 91457-registered players. From this there are 32230 preteen male players.

What is most important in for the development effort is to have an avenue for 32230 pre teen players to continue with the game. It may not necessarily be in the 30 clubs that may have a potential to store around 900 players. What is needed is for the others to continue with the game by playing community level rugby. This will ensue that those who are caught in the net will continue to be involved.

What I would look at will be fun rugby at the village and or sector level. Say a tournament among hoteliers down south. Southern Province if I am right has the most numbers in development . What happens to them thereafter is the question?

Development has had various people involved and they have cast the net wide and extending areas of Hambantota in the South. There is also Sabaragamuwa who have roots in Kegalle and Avissawella but have set sight as far as Embilipitiya. We also see rugby being spread in Uva as well in the North Central Province.

Thus gone so far will not be enough as the years go by. Seeds that have been sown are now growing. It is time to get more through value addition. This is no easy task. However, has to be done. Omar who has a challenge in his hands will need the support of all. Then what he starts on the date SLRFU celebrates one hundred years will be the planting of seed for the next century . My congratulations to the SLRFU who celebrate a century of existence.

• Vimal Perera is a former Rugby Referee, coach and Accredited Referees Evaluator IRB