Rugby: Introductory Course for Match Commissioners successfully launched

Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) together with its main sponsor Dialog Axiata PLC, conducted a two-day training programme targeting potential rugby match commissioners. 

The programme, 'Introductory Course for Rugby Football Match Commissioners' was held on December 15 and 16 at the Auditorium of Dialog Axiata with the participation of 26 aspirants, who had been part of the sport on and off the field at the highest level. 

The two-day programme, an initiative spearheaded by Ana Wijeratne, a World Rugby Match Commissioner, had lectures from renowned rugby personalities on different topics. 

The programme was initiated with an opening ceremony where the chief guest was Presidents Council, Anuja Premaratne while SLR officials, stalwarts of game and former players and officials made their presence by endorsing Wijeratne's initiative. 

Thusitha Pieris, the Secretary of SLR, declared opened the programme with his welcome speech following the traditional formalities. 

The opening day's topics were wholly based from the basics, despite almost all participants being former rugby players to present administrators at different levels in rugby. 

Ana Wijeratne made the first presentation with the 'Introduction to Sri Lanka Rugby' followed by the 'Introduction to Match Commissioning' by Kavinda Jayasena, a former school, national cap, now also a World Rugby Match Commissioner. 

Jayasena, who travelled all the way from Kandy to make his presentations also shared his knowledge on the topic of 'Pre-match, Match and Post Match responsibilities of the Match Commissioner' where a vast range of activities revealing behind-the-curtain activities of officials to present a neatly run match. 

Renowned TV Presenter and Lawyer, Shanaka Amarasingha, also a former rugby player, made his presentation on the topic of 'Broadcasting and Media'. 

Participants were made to get involved with the presenters by making use of them at activities and a question and answer session at each presentation session. 

Dr. N. Sankalpana, a World Rugby Medical Educator, made an enlightening presentation on the topic of 'Role of Medical Staff and Important Medical Aspects in Rugby' where participants were keenly involved. 

Before the end of the first day Ana Wijeratne and Kavinda Jayasena, both World Rugby Match Commissioners, proceeded the sessions of 'Online Learning on Technical Zone, Laws of the Game' followed by the topic 'Information Management and Documentation'. 

The participants were made to complete online examinations on four different components of the game, which could be the basic pathway for them to take up as potential rugby match commissioners. 

The second day kicked off with the topic of 'International Tournaments and Management by Wijeratne, followed by an informative session from Dr. Seevalie Jayawickrama, the Director General of Sri Lanka Anti Doping Agency, on the topic of Anti Doping Rules and Regulations and Coordination. 

Up and coming referee Akhil Jamaldeen, who is performing impressively in the ongoing Dialog Rugby League, conducted a session on the topic of 'Introduction to Match Officiating, National and International Match Exposure', while sharing his personal experience as a youngster in the trade of rugby refereeing. 

Shamrath Fernando, a CMO, PR of ARFU and WR and a Performance Reviewer and a SLR Council Member, conducted a multiple session on 'Citing and Sanctions', Match Observation Programme' and 'Introduction to Technical Zone'. 

Wijeratne conducted a constructive session of 'Key Skills and Attributes' where participants had to practically make presentations on given subjects and scenario-based decision making skills. 

The two-day programme came to an end on Sunday evening after a thorough group discussion and feedback from each participant, who showed great enthusiasm than at the beginning of the first day. 

Participants were of the genuine view that they honestly had very little idea on the amount effort and work match officials and organisers put out to dish out a perfect game of rugby, prior to this programme. 

"The whole idea of this programme was to inculcate the knowledge and technicality on how a rugby match commissioner functions. We had individuals with a good rugby background but contributing to the game through various other ways, including media personnel, who report and analyze the game sharply. By the end of the programme, the response and feedback I received from the participants were not the same, as they were on the opening day, it was contrastingly overwhelming. And they all told me that the learning was something they never expected, while assuring of their direct involvement to the game in the near future," Wijeratne stated after the end of the second day. 

After the positive response from the two-day programme, the SLR is planning in holding similar projects, while the participants who went through the initial programme will be utilized for future events, according to Wijeratne. 

The participants for the two-day programme were Gr. Capt. Dhammika Samarakoon, Lanka de Silva, Maj. Chamara Nanayakkara, Chalaka Siriwardena, SP Faizal Hadji, Raushan Mawsoof, Janaka Seneviratne, Ravi Laduwahetti, Wing Commander Kosala Ranasinghe, Sqdn. Leader Harshani Katugampola, Capt. Chanaka Pieris, SP A.M.A.L. Abeykoon, Supun Ranaweerasinghe, Haaziq Jaleel, Clifford Sundaram, Lt. Col. Samantha Samarasinghe, Maj (Dr.) R.P.M. Prasanga, Lalith Abeysekara, Shiraz Jaldin, Ashad Weerabangsa, Chamika Ushan, Chamara Manik Gamarachchi, Maj. Asela Palihena, Dr. M.G.M.S. Zulfiq, ASP Neranjan Abeywardhane, Naushad Amit, Haris Omar and Capt. Hemantha Sirisena.