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| Sunday, 14 April 2002 |
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Residential qualification of 60 days required... by LAL GUNESEKERA Only two foreign players can be "on the field" at any given time if clubs could afford to sign them on for the forthcoming Caltex 'A' Division League Rugby Championship which is scheduled to kick-off on May 3. This was one of the decisions made by the Council of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) on Thursday night. The Secretary of the SLRFU, Group Captain (R) Nalin de Silva, told the Sunday Observer that the Council did not specify in which positions these overseas players could play, but laid down a rule that they have to be in the country 60 days prior to the tournament. Earlier at a Tournament Committee meeting, representative of the forces (Army, Navy, Air Force) were against any side fielding foreigners. Even the CR & FC and Havelocks objected to foreigners representing clubs in the 'A' division. The Chairman of the national selectors, Group Captain (R) Tikiri Marambe, was of the opinion that if foreigners were allowed to play for clubs they also must be made eligible to represent the country, too, like in Hong Kong. He said: "This deprives the Sri Lankan players of donning the national jersey." The President of the SLRFU, Commodore Harsha Mayadunne, said that the selectors will be informed not to include any 15-a-side player in the squads for the IRB Singapore 7's on April 21 and 22 and also for the IRB Malaysian 7's on May 27 and 28. Sri Lanka's next game in the Rugby World Cup (Asian qualifying) is against Kazakhastan on April 21 at Taraz and the team is scheduled to leave the country on Monday (April 15). The first-round of the Caltex 'A' division league is from May 3 to June 30 and the second-round from July 5 to August 4. The knock-out tournament for the Caltex Clifford Cup will be from August 14 to 24 and the knock-out competition for the President's Trophy from October 18 to 27. |
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