Handicapped SLR can still be the guardian of rugby  

by a Special Sports Correspondent  

Rugby in Sri Lanka is in a state of limbo at the moment with an order being carried out to suspend the registration of Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) with the Ministry of Sports Youth Affairs.

There were many reports in the media regarding this move which were misleading because some of those appearing in newspapers said that the suspension was temporary. The Director General Sports of the Ministry of Sports confirmed that the suspension stands and there is nothing temporary about it.

The suspension comes at the time when the club rugby tournament was commenced with the greatest of difficulties and the SLR President Rizly Illyas did well to find a sponsor to boost the conducting of rugby activities in the country. Now the SLR must understand one thing. With the suspension, this sports body returns to the status where at one time it was not affiliated to the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. That means this sports body cannot field a team to an international tournament and call it the national team. It can oversee rugby activities in the country.

Sri Lanka Rugby was earlier known as the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU). The union then had a few affiliated clubs and there were matches played between member clubs. The clubs grew in number over the years and there were over ten clubs playing Division One rugby. But some of those clubs are defunct and at present the number is eight. These eight teams are contesting a domestic inter-club league rugby tournament which is nearing an end now. The suspension imposed on the SLR in no way hinders the tournament. Rugby in Sri Lanka has grown and the SLR is represented by representatives of seven provincial unions.

Informed sources told this newspaper that the SLR’s elected body must do one thing; state clearly on its letterhead that its registration with the Ministry of Sports has been suspended. It is known that the SLR plans to conduct a knockout tournament and a seven-s-side tournament for member clubs this season after the league tournament. These too can take place under the supervision of SLR.

The main reason as stated in the newspapers for the suspension imposed is that the SLR disregarded the Sports Minister hence paving the way for the suspension. We also read in the newspapers that some provincial unions had not paid their subscriptions to the SLR, during the past two years, but had been actively involved in SLR’s AGM. It is said that these provincial unions to be readmitted to the SLR had to get the sports minister’s approval, but that protocol had not been followed. But this point is contested by rugby stalwarts who underscore that the SLR is an independent sports body and the sports ministry gets involved only when approval is needed for a national team to represent the country abroad and not in general administrative matters and disputes. Other than that if a member provincial union or a club has a dispute with SLR it can obtain redress for its grievances by seeking the assistance of the law.

We are nearing the time for the next Annual General Meeting of the SLR and it is interesting to see what the Sports Ministry plans regarding its next step. Just for the record back in 1996 the then Minister of Sports S.B Dissanayake suspended the Sri Lanka Taekwondo Federation (SLTF). Later an AGM was called by the Sports Ministry and a new set of office bearers were appointed. The founder of the SLTF fell out with the new committee. His only way out was he started promoting one of the affiliated clubs of the SLTF which is the Sri Lanka Taekwondo Association (SLTA). At present, the SLTF has close links with the ministry of sports while the SLTA works independently with no opportunity to send a national team abroad.

The competent authority which has been appointed to oversee rugby activities in the country plans to work with the administrative staff of the SLR.

A real problem will arise if the competent authority for rugby takes steps to conduct an AGM. In that event will the suspension of SLR’s registration with the Sports Ministry be lifted so that it would be fair by all parties involved in this dispute? This is the right thing to do, according to top figures in the rugby fraternity. We all know that the AGMs of all national sports bodies must be conducted before the first quarter of the year ends.

It is a known fact that the SLR’s president and the sports minister were not in a position to see eye to eye on rugby matters. Informed sources say the rugby’s big boss resented moves made by the sports minister when the latter wanted to interfere in rugby’s activities.

Rugby is at present not in a healthy position to get into disputes. It has earned a sponsor after much sweat. SLR got the sport going after a long break for the covid pandemic. The Sports Minister being a past player should have thought better and acted much wiser. Many consider the sports minister’s move to ‘block’ the SLR at this juncture as a very unreasonable and unjust act.