Conflict of interest to sit at DC when own school teams are playing:

High-handed acts of school rugby officials questioned

The Disciplinary Committee (DC) of the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association (SLSRFA) has unreasonably banned players up to five weeks for reasons better known to them. Many knowledgeable personalities in the rugby circles and school rugby fans have condemned the high handed manner in which the SLSRFU is running its affairs.

The SLSRFA's Disciplinary Committee has taken controversial actions in suspending players which are even longer than stipulated periods of the International Rugby Board (IRB).

As sportsmen, everybody would agree that the discipline should always come first but at the same time the conduct of those who discipline the game should be transparent. None would contradict when it comes to disciplining players but that should be done in a transparent manner in keeping with the IRB regulations.

What is the eligibility of two principals of leading schools and some school masters in the SLSRFA to sit in the DC? How ethical it is for them to sit in the SLSRFA DC when their own school teams are playing in the Inter-School Under-19 Rugby tournament? Isn't it a clear conflict of interest? Do they have any moral right whatsoever to sit in the DC? These are the questions which puzzles the experts in the sport and rugby-loving public.

The SLSRFU has suspended six schoolboy ruggerites, who were shown red cards. Among them are players from Science College, Isipathana, Kingswood, Royal, Wesley and Vidyartha.

But with the three-week school vacation, their period of suspension runs to over five weeks which is unfair by any standards.

Moreover, when the same set of school principals and masters sit in the DC, there is all possibility of taking decisions that are favourable for their own school teams. Even if they claim that they have been neutral, none could rule out the possibility of taking unfair decisions to favour their teams so that the opponents will be minus key players.

The Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU), the national governing body for rugby, has been unable to take action against the controversial decisions of the schools body as the latter comes under the Ministry of Education.

Certain power-hungry officials of the SLSRFA has turned down the SLRFU's request to work closely with the parent body, which has even offered better sponsorship deals for inter-school rugby tournaments. The SLRFU has informed the SLSRFA that they could find a sponsor who would play double the present sponsorship but the schools rugby body has turned down the lucrative offer for reasons better known to them.

In the past, schools rugby was well managed when it was under the direct supervision of the SLRFU as the SLRFU Schools Section. But extremist ideas and geed for power prompted the schools rugby body to break free and function as an independent body. It was the beginning of the downfall of schools rugby which lacked professionalism and expertise.

Almost all SLSRFA officials had never played the game and acts only as educationists, devoting their free time to administer the game. Though some of them are keen to administer the game, they lack technical knowledge and are not in a position to take right decisions when it comes to disciplinary action at matches.

In contrast, the SLRFU has a highly professional Disciplinary Committee which has some eminent personalities has always taken fair decisions in keeping with the IRB guidelines, while maintain discipline to the highest level. If the SLSRFA is unable to find similar experts in their DC, they must let the SLRFU DC to handle such matters. Letting school principals and teachers, whose teams are also playing in the same tournament, would always room for favouritism and one-sided decisions.

Hence, the schools rugby body must work closely with the SLRFU and use their expertise in technical and disciplinary matters.

SLRFU President Asanga Seneviratne, when contacted, said that they even found a big time sponsor for the schools body but the schools rugby officials turned down the offer. Sri Lanka rugby chief said they could even support technical assistance and the expertise of the SLRFU Disciplinary Committee if the schools rugby officials wish to run their association in an exemplary manner.

Principal of Royal College, Upali Gunasekera said the SLSRFA disciplinary committee would be more transparent if experts too are included in the panel. "There are good principals and teachers who serve at the schools association. But when it comes to technical and disciplinary matters, we should work closely with the parent body. It would be even better if experts are included in the disciplinary committee," said Gunasekera who is also a Vice President of the SLSRFA.