The rugby authorities are pondering to revert to the old system of all teams in the ‘A’ division fray to play in the time tested home and away system in the 2011 season. The SLRFU secretary Shane Dullewa Speaking to the Sunday Times said that the tournament committee has already made that recommendation, but it is yet to be ratified by the council. He said, “We are thinking of getting back to the former system of home and away, and dropping the system of only six teams going into the second round, but it is yet to be ratified by the Council”.

An ‘A’ division rugby game between CR and Kandy, the main contenders for the title, in progress during the last season. (Pic by Ranjith Perera)

The ‘A’ division rugby season is geared to begin in the first week of June 2011 and will go till the end of August. However the National pool will have to be in training much before the season proper begins. The Lankan National team will have to play two games in the five nation series and the initial matches will be played in Sri Lanka. Firstly the Lankans will take on the Arabian Gulf in Colombo in May and then Hong Kong in June. Thereafter they will have to the Asian rugby giants Japan and Kazakhstan in two away matches.

The SLRFU secretary Dullewa also added: “Sri Lankan rugby players will have win at least one of these games. If they win they would be able stay within this group of five if not we will be relegated to the position below.”

The teams that would take part in the ‘A’ division tournament once again will be dominated by the services teams which would be Army Navy and Air Force while Police would be the other services oriented team taking part. Among the other teams the perennial winners Kandy will be looking to keep their superiority intact for another year, while their closest rivals CR and FC, CH and FC and Havelocks are the other teams who will be looking for the custody of the plum.

When we inquired from the SLRFU secretary if there was a move to form another team from Kandy to play in the ‘A’ division he said “Yes, there is a move in that direction and the new minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage is very keen on making it a reality. Yes, we have the provisions to have a few more sides playing in the ‘A’ division and that would be boon to the selection process”.

Dullewa pointed out that in the past there were only Trinity, St. Anthony’s and Kingswood playing rugby in the Kandy area, but today there are several more schools playing good rugby in the area and most of the players that come out from schools hang their boots up as a result of there being only one club in the fray. “If there is another club, playing good rugby in the Kandy region it would be a big boost to the up and coming ruggerites from the area and to the game of rugby as a whole in the island. We also hope not only Kandy, there would be a team coming up from Kurunegala – another hub where good rugby is played”.