 I mentioned about the tournament manual for the last Junior Rugby Tournament including the procedure that will be followed in the event of a stoppage of a match by the referee. These are areas for all involved in running tournaments to take note. So as to as avoid issues that may come up. As the game becomes more competitive and there is financial commitment the need is to be more professional.
Reading through the manual I noticed the clause that “The Tournament Director shall deal himself with any complaints and/or disputes as he shall think, in his absolute discretion, appropriate to be dealt with by the Tournament Director. Where the Tournament Director considers, in his absolute discretion, that any complaint and/or dispute is of a nature which is appropriate to be referred to the Disputes Committee, then he may refer such matter to the Disputes Committee for determination”.
The powers given to the Tournament Director is similar to the clause that is included in the manuals governing tournaments in Sri Lanka. Such clauses have existed in the form of where there is doubt in the interpretation of the rules where no provision or effective provision has been made where such disputes are referred to the tournament committee whose decision shall be final.
Robert Sutton |
The ARFU has included a dispute committee where again the reference to such committee is at the absolute discretion of the tournament director. What is important for Sri Lankan rugby is to have such provisions included and the tournament manuals update to enable the handling of issues.
Included in the manual is a binding agreement where the parties agree that, prior to or during the Tournament, no challenges shall be made to any decisions of the Tournament Director and/or Disputes Committee and/or any other persons or bodies appointed in respect of any and all operational, participatory, commercial and any other matters relating to the Tournament. However, in the event that the parties hereto are unable to settle amicably any dispute arising out of or in connection with these Terms of Participation or in the event that a party seeks to challenge any decision made can refer e to an arbitration committee. This too has certain exclusions that have been accepted. Therefore what is important is to ensure that there are acceptable and updated tournament rules and a binding agreement o f such acceptance.
The need is to ensure that the game continues without interruption. Why I say that is because it is rugby that is important. As I have been saying we need to gear ourselves to be as closer to the top as possible in Asian Rugby. We are there now among the Asian 5 Nations and in third place in Junior Rugby in Asia. Will we have that opportunity again? If we don’t and we go on as we do history will write an epitaph that will not be very kind. Over the years there was grumbling that rugby has at the governing body many that have not played at the highest level. Now they have, except for maybe one. What excuse can you continue to give?
How can we justify the inability to get more and more matches for the sevens as well as fifteen to get them more match practice? I am told the problem is the lack of funds. The report of the Auditor General on the accounts of the union as at 31st December 2008 says that a sum of 40 million was in fixed deposits against which an OD of 15 million was obtained. Even i f you do set off the overdraft fully, assuming no receivables, there should have been Rs. 25 million brought forward. Assuming that there were other sponsorship moneys received during the years 2009 and 2010 during the time of the interim then it is a big “WHY”. It is best that the accounts of 2009 are audited and made public. It is then the rugby public will understand that there cannot be expectation for rugby as funds are inadequate. If not there can always be speculation and images tarnished.
Robert Sutton is an author and a Professor of Management Science and Engineering at Stanford University. He has a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology. His latest book which is best seller is titled, “The No Asshole Rule” for the work place. In Suttons view behaviour include bullying, interpersonal aggression, emotional abuse, abusive supervision, petty tyranny, harassment, and incivility in the workplace. And he shows that such behavior affects the bottom line of a business through impaired organizational performance, including increased turnover, absenteeism, decreased commitment to work, and impaired individual performance.
Replace the work place with Rugby and do you find a familiar situation. You do have this in the work place and they continue much to the detriment of the organization. In this case it is rugby and you find them all over. In the words of Sutton they continue as managers and companies empower jerks for too long, especially if they’re effective, (in this case not) because they think that they’re worth the trouble. The question; are they really “effective ones or virtuous ones. On the long run they are neither.
*Vimal Perera is a former Rugby Referee, coach and Accredited Referees Evaluator IRB |
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