Cops raise alarm over ‘controversial’ decisions in ongoing League
Police Sports Club has expressed their displeasure regarding the manner, in which the subcommittees of Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR), currently in charge of running the ongoing Mastercard Club Rugby League 2024, have handled three separate incidents that occurred during the first couple of weekends. The club rugby league is run by a tournament committee appointed by SLR’s Competent Authority, who is in-charge of the sport since May this year until a duly elected administration is elected, who will have the challenge of resolving the unsolicited issues.
The first incident involves a decision by the Disciplinary Committee to award the win in the opening-week match between hosts Army SC and Police SC, played at Panagoda, even though the match was scheduled to be replayed after being called off due to adverse weather. The match, initially played as scheduled on December 14 at Panagoda, proceeded despite a formal protest by the visiting team about the condition of the playing field, which had an uneven surface with potholes filled with sand.
The game, however, was stopped at halftime, with Army SC leading 8-5, as heavy rain accompanied by thunder and lightning rendered further play impossible. Match officials, after discussions with team officials from both sides, decided to resume the second half the following day at the same venue.
Yet, according to sources, the SLR Tournament Committee convened a virtual meeting the next morning, involving representatives from all participating teams. They escalated the issue to the Disciplinary Committee, which issued a verdict favouring the hosts. Top officials of Police SC were baffled by the decision, questioning how officials from uninvolved teams were allowed to act as jury in a dispute strictly concerning the two competing teams, especially when the match was yet to be replayed.
The tournament officials claimed that the Police SC team was not on the ground when the hosting team had made themselves available shortly before the game’s postponement. This claim was made despite the fact that the field’s markings had been washed away, and the poor visibility made continuing the game impossible.
“It’s absurd. Both teams and match officials had already agreed to continue the game the next day, but then SLR suddenly introduced strange points. The Police team was inside the dressing room, waiting for the match officials’ decision about the game’s continuation. They later claimed that, when it was agreed to replay, the other team was on the field to resume the game—under unplayable conditions,” a top official of Police SC stated.
The second dispute, which left Police SC officials feeling they were the targets of a witch-hunt, arose when two of their newly recruited players were not cleared to play in the ongoing competition, despite being registered in October. In a similar situation, CH&FC fielded three players who had already been registered with another club, newcomers Sri Lions SC, in a game against Police SC on December 20 at Police Park.
Following a formal protest by Police SC, SLR cleared the three players to continue playing for CH&FC, with the condition that they would not be fielded in matches against Sri Lions for the next two seasons. Reports suggest that the decision was based on a mutual understanding between CH&FC and Sri Lions, bypassing the Tournament and Disciplinary Committees, despite the incident constituting a clear breach of tournament regulations.
SLR’s approach—inviting inputs from officials of other teams to resolve a match-related issue involving two teams that had already agreed to continue a weather-affected game—highlights their apparent double standards towards defending Clifford Cup champions, Police SC. Sources reveal that Police SC officials, despite their frustrations, have decided to continue participating in the tournament while pursuing justice through proper channels. Notably, SLR is currently under the supervision of the Director General of Sport as the Competent Authority, following its dissolution seven months ago. The decisions taken, according to informed sources, have been officially sanctioned by the Competent Authority.