Many changes expected at SLRFU AGM

By Jatila KARAWITA

RUGBY: The annual general meeting of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) for 2009, is scheduled to be held on February 21 (Saturday) in Colombo, a spokesman for the sport's main domestic controlling body told Sunday Observer.

He said that the two-year stipulated term of its current President Senior DIG Nimal Lewke will end at the AGM, with incumbent Vice President and former Sri Lanka fly-half Asanga Seneviratne tipped to takeover the reins at the Cinnamon Gardens Headquarters.

The SLRFU source stated that there could also be many other changes during the AGM with the new council expected to include officials who comply with its constitution which states that all administrators who are eligible to sit in the Council should have either played representative rugby for Sri Lanka or 'A' division rugby.

The Minister of Sports and Public Recreation Gamini Lokuge appointed a three-member panel consisting of retired IGP Indra de Silva, Derwin Perera and B.L.H. Perera, last month, following a complaint lodged by National Sports Council member and former Sri Lanka 'lock forward' Lasitha Guneratne, that the current Council of the SLRFU consists of officials who have directly contravened the rules of the Union Constitution.

Guneratne had specifically mentioned the names of SLRFU Secretary Duke Hamid, Referees Society President Wimal Perera and Council Member Senarath Alwis. When contacted by Sunday Observer, Minister Gamini Lokuge noted that the report compiled by the three-member panel was expected to be finalised shortly and that he would monitor the SLRFU AGM closely, based on the recommendations of the report before taking suitable action.

The SLRFU source further added that one of the top priorities of the new Council would be to streamline preparations for the Asian Five Nations - Division 2 Tournament in either Arabian Gulf or Thailand around April. A new coach for the national 15-a-Side team would also need their attention - and they have also to fill up the vacant post of CEO of the SLRFU. Sri Lanka's two former national coaches South Africans Dawie Snyman and Norman Laker ended their contracts last month, while SLRFU's long-serving Executive Director Dilroy Fernando, left his post to take up a new role with CR & FC.

According to rugby sources, the new SLRFU Council will also need to forward a fresh set of names to Minister of Sports to form a fresh selection panel as there has been no selection committee in office since the exit of Rohan Abayakoon led panel last November.