Royal - an outstanding season, but demotion of schools not the solution

By D.M. Dharmathilake Udaya Yatawara of Dharmaraja OBA

School Rugby 2011: This has been the hot topic of conversation at the present moment, now that the inter-school season has come to an end, Royal college is on top of the chart winning the league championship with an outstanding performance of winning eleven matches.

At the same time it is somewhat of a calamity that S. Thomas' College who maintained a high standard of rugby for so many years in the past are placed last in the division 1 league table, losing ten of the matches they played.

According to the Schools Rugby Association the decision at the beginning of the season was the last four teams in the division one league table are to be demoted. Accordingly Dharmaraja, Wesley, Thurstan and S. Thomas' are to be pushed down to division 2 for the next season. Now can this be the right decision for the improvement of rugby football in the schools? Schools like Dharmaraja, Wesley, S. Thomas' and Thurstan had maintained a good standard of rugby for many years in the past and their standard compares well with the schools that are to remain in division one.

This year, Dharmaraja, though they lost some games at the beginning of the season, recorded victories with an improved performance, against Science College (a school that will remain in Division 1). Wesley and Thurstan - the final game against Trinity was well matched and their performance displayed equal strength, though Trinity managed to snatch a victory in the final moments of the game.

Going deeper into the question of the demotion of the four teams appear to be because the School Rugby Association is of the view that the number of fixtures a school play during a season should be limited. Limitation of the number of matches and the maintenance of a good standard of rugby could be achieved by promoting the four leading teams in division two to division one and dividing division one to two groups A and B.

The group leaders of 'A' and 'B' will play against each other to decide on the championship. Traditional games? Now there is another question. There is the question of having the longstanding traditional matches. Take for a example the Royal-Thomian fixture. The Gunaratne Trophy is the trophy on offer. What happens to that fixture? Isn't there room for that match? It is not fair to castigate that match to a 'also played class match'. Wesley Dharmaraja, and Thurstan too have their traditional games. What happens to those games?

A lot of questions crop up at this point of time. S. Thomas' won over Dharmaraja who had defeated three other teams in division one. Results of matches purely cannot judge the standard of rugby in the schools. Limitation of the number of fixtures and the maintenance of a good standard of rugby could be achieved by promoting the four leading teams in Division Two to Division one of dividing division one to two groups - 'A' and 'B' Schools can improve standards The group leaders of 'A' and 'B' will play against each other to decide on the championship.

An arrangement of this nature will help a larger number of the leading rugby playing schools to improve their standards as they will get opportunities of playing with schools of a higher standard. The demotion of the last four schools in division one -- s. Thomas' Dharmaraja, Wesley and Thurstan will not be of help to these schools to improve their standards as they will be deprived of playing with schools that maintain a higher standard.

The school Rugby Association can follow the arrangement of the schools Cricket Association that has four groups in Division one with nine teams in each group. The Sri Lanka Schools Cricket Association has safeguards the interests of the schools, while providing opportunities for the schools to develop their standards at cricket.

It will be in the interest of school rugby if the Schools Rugby Association would reconsider its decision to demote. S.Thomas', Dharmaraja, Wesley and Thurstan to division two and, devise a system where they can be accommodated in the same division with other schools that are to be retained in division one.