Mercantile rugby was of good quality

Sports

The Mercantile Rugby Sevens is a popular event in the sporting calendar. It is an event that the otherwise busy people in the commercial world look forward to. It was played over the week end of 5th 6th and 7th of December. This virtually seals off 2008 for rugby the damned sport which is liked by a lot. Barring a few matches of community rugby including some beach rugby the battle on the field is over.

The off field events and the war of words and issue of statements will continue for another few more days possibly weeks and may be months with a possibility of continuing even after a new administration taking over. What has started will continue unless and until we see the need to work with a common objective. That in my view should be to promote and foster the game of rugby in Sri Lanka.

What lesson could the “Mercantile Sevens” have given to the panjandrums of rugby? That was to work as a team to achieve the end objective. That I believe was their success in running a tournament. All hands on the wheel seemed to me the way they worked to get the tournament to progress on the three days it was played. Key positions were well manned and people took over their work more or less on a roster basis as there were enough hands to help. Everybody had his share of work to be done. No pundits and know alls seemed to be around in this group of simple but commercially astute minds who had two things in common. Love of rugby and being a band of mercantile executives.

The games which were the 38th were evenly contested most of the time. The teams grouped to Cup Bowl, Shield with losing quar+ter finalists in the cup playing of for the plate. There were 40 teams out in the middle with four newcomers to mercantile rugby.There were 66 matches in the league stage and 24 matches at the knock out stage. Strict discipline was maintained with regard to on field incidents with a red card meaning you are out of the tournament. An observation I had in respect to the on field behavior resulting in the two red cards was that both seemed to be habitual offenders. One loves to throw his fists around and was given a red card in the recently concluded schools tournament. He did so again and had to sit out. The other was guilty of abusing a referee in B division matches and was given a three match ban by the SLRFU. He did so again and went off with a warning for his behavior after a league match.

Repeated again during a match he receives a red card. The Mike Tyson of the rugby field is a good player with a lot of potential and needs to curb his unwanted anxiety if he is to progress. It seems what they need is counseling.

Winners of this year’s tournament were the Emjay International rugby team. They beat Asia Capital in the cup final by 24 points to 17. Ever green Nalaka Weerakkody the sevens veteran was the player cum coach of the side. I am told that this is the first time that a team from Kandy has won the Mercantile Sevens. Both teams were packed with rugby players mostly from the champion Kandy Sports Club. Asia Capital led at half time having 12 points against 5 from Emjay who made good use of the experience to finally win the game. Emjay who won the Plate last year has done better for them this year.

Action at Mercantile rugby sevens last week.
(Pic by Sanka Vidanagama)

Last years Cup champions “Seylan Bank” dropped out at the semi final stage having being beaten by Asia Capital by 12 points to 7. John Keels were beaten by Emjay who worked their way to the final. Commercial Bank won the shield while the Bowl was won by Dialog “A” and the shield was won by Hirdramani.

The teams being grouped resulted in matches being closely contested and this happened to all games and in the cup championship too. Their was a steady stream of spectators on the first two days and the last day saw an appreciable crowd despite the rain in the latter part of the day . Those present enjoyed the rugby as well as the atmosphere which also pointed to a conclusion that where there is rugby there will be a crowd. When there is a crowd there will always be a satisfied sponsor. That is how the game will go on Possibly the Mercantile rugby Association can look to having more sevens and may be even look at Corporate names in the fifteen a side game . Rugby has a following that needs to be satisfied irrespective of skirmishes and squabbles.

To recognize and satisfy a demand while getting a value for themselves is why the corporate exist .May be that’s the way to go unless and until others see the responsibility to the rugby public.

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

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