Useful tips to carry forward rugby football in Sri Lanka - Rizwan Omar

by Upananda Jayasundera - Kandy Sports Special Corr.

Rizwan Omar - Kandy Sports Club's representative has come forward with some useful suggestions that help the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union to carry the game forward in its development efforts.

According to reliable sources the Clifford Cup final and the clubs have requested that this match be played alternatively in Kandy and Colombo.

There seems to be some sort of a constitutional crisis that is troubling the SLRFU Tournament Committee regarding the Clifford Cup final. In the first instance, according to the Constitution of the SLRFU, schedule (III) - delegation of powers, terms of Reference and notes to the guidance of Sub-Committee shall be as follows: (a) To arrange the programme as conducted by the Union (II) - knock-out tournament to be conducted by the Union.

They shall each take into account suggestions as submitted by the Member Unions for the conduct of the various tournaments and suggest that the 31st January of the Year be the date where recommendations for the various tournaments, to be conducted for the ensuing year. (b) Draw up a fixture card for the various tournaments, trials and matches being conducted by the Union.

(c) Liaise with Schools Associations and ensure that principal club matches do not clash with important school matches. These are the functions of the Tournament Sub-Committee and under the circumstances, the Clifford Cup final, as in the past will prevail. However, as there have been various suggestions by member clubs in the recent past who insist that there should be a change.

Rizwan Omar says that he would like to give their views that would be useful for the SLRFU Council to take a decision to control, promote, foster and develop the game throughout Sri Lanka.

1. The Clifford Cup is the only tournament where a final is played outside Colombo if KSC is in the final.

2. Ever since this tournament has been played in Kandy, schools in the Kandy district have improved their rugby and more schools and players have taken to the game, even from adjoining towns like Gampola, Nawalapitiya, Matale, Dambulla, Nuwara Eliya, Polonnaruwa, Hanguranketha, Walapane, etc.

3. Kandy Sports Club and the players from Kandy Schools comprise a good percentage of the National Team, clearly showing that the Kandy schools are seeing the National Team and even other Colombo clubs. If the final is played away from Kandy, this is the first step in killing the game in Kandy, thereby weakening the National Team.

It took 117 years to win their first trophy - Clifford Cup - final played in Kandy for the first time, and since then Kandy rugby has been of a high standard. Is this the way to promote the game?

During a year only about 7 to 9 games are played in Kandy, including the Clifford Cup games, assuming that Kandy is in the final. This year only 7 games will be played. The Kandy rugby supporters will be starved and deprived of witnessing good club rugby. In contrast, in Colombo more than 50 'A' Division club games are played during a year and there as much 'B' Division games as well.

During the League tournament Kandy SC normally travels down to Colombo 07 to 08 times whereas a Colombo team has to come up only once.

This is a major disadvantage for Kandy SC, and in spite of this disadvantage Kandy has been able to win the League 09 times during the past 12 years.

To have the Clifford Cup final in Colombo will give Colombo teams a further unfair advantage in spite of all these disadvantages Kandy has been the only outstation team to play continuously in the League tournament since its inception.

Thanks to the success of Kandy Sports Club with the backing of their sponsors, supporters, Kandy was able to organize an International Rugby Sevens tournament since 1999 to date with IRB Status now. An achievement the SLRFU should be very proud of in taking away the Clifford Cup Final from Kandy is it the way of rewarding KSC for all what they have done.

In 1992 when the SLRFU awarded the Clifford Cup to be conducted in Kandy there was protests from CR & FC and CH & FC and they withdrew from the tournament. The newspapers reported that the tournament was conducted with a carnival atmosphere without lights indicating the disappointment of major clubs pulling out of the tournament.

In 1998 a similar protest was made from leading clubs in Colombo and Kandy SC threatened to pull out from the league. The then Minister of Sports S. B. Dissanayake intervened in the matter and made several suggestions in the best interest of rugby in the presence of a team of SLRFU officials at the Sports Ministry Complex and later SLRFU opted to continue with the previous years format.

Kandy appeal to the SLRFU Council to consider all the facts mentioned and have the same format as in the past for the Clifford Cup final.

Dimbulla - Dickoya are back in 'A' Div Rugby having last played in 1974.

Singer Sri Lanka Limited has come forward to sponsor the game in the Up-country with great inspirational encouragement from its Chairman/Managing Director Hemaka Amarasuriya.

Just as he did to the Kandy Sports Club in the late 90's and now the Kandy Sports Club is the leading domestic league and Clifford Cup Champions in Sri Lanka over the last several years.

Mr. Amarasuriya is confident that Dim/Dicks will also follow the same trend of Kandy Sports Club and hopes to support the up-country club to achieve another milestone in rugby in the near future.