The National Sports Council (NSC) Chairperson Priyantha Ekanayake, its member Rohan Abeykoon and the Men’s rugby team ex-director of coaching Inthisham Marikar, collectively implored the local rugby stakeholders to ditch petty squabbles.
Addressing a joint press conference at the NSC office on Thursday (25), the ex-Lankan rugby trio warned that if Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) fails to ensure a duly-elected set of office bearers by 9 October, the country could face ostracisation from World Rugby (WR).
They stated in one voice that they had come forward voluntarily at the insistence of Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage, to provide their rugby expertise to overcome the nation’s long-drawn out governance crisis.
However, the threesome bemoaned the fact that those with hidden agendas and ulterior motives had scuttled their efforts to revive its stalled administration and put the sport back on track.
They opined that if the 8 October deadline is missed this time around, there could be no turning back to the island-nation, as the game’s global controlling body could impose long-lasting sanctions on its rugby aspirations outside home shores.
“This is pretty much the last chance saloon for us,” Abeykoon, an ex-Sri Lanka centre, said.
“World Rugby will most certainly consider sanctions on Sri Lanka, if there is no duly-elected set of administrators by the said date. That much I can guarantee. And let’s keep our fingers crossed, to see whether Sri Lanka can have a set of new officials in office by early October.”
Asked whether any perceived litigation filed by Provincial Unions against whoever is elected to office could put a spoke in the SLR administrative wheel, Abeykoon rejected such notions.
Certain Provincial Unions have alleged that the Working Task Force formed to oversee rugby has no mandate to amend the SLR Constitution.
They have also warned that if any new body is elected at the SLR AGM on 8 October, in violation of the Provisions of its previous Constitution, they will promptly institute legal action against them.
“Any number of legal cases could be filed by any aggrieved party among the rugby stakeholders,” the ex-Trinity and CH and FC star pointed out.
“Those cases will take its due course and that will not scupper the governance side, if there is an elected Council at the AGM. All that World Rugby has said is for the SLR to have an elected body and as long as there is one, the legal side is irrelevant.”
Former Sri Lanka wing Inthisham Marikar stated that if Sri Lanka has any intention of reaching the next level then they must seriously consider hiring foreign expertise.
He remarked that only through the knowhow of such expert coaches could local players and trainers aspire to further broaden their horizons in rugby.
He candidly insisted what has stymied local rugby is its frog-in-the-well mentality and warned that as long as Sri Lanka refuses to overcome such a mindset, they will continue to only make up the numbers in both 15s and Sevens rugby.
Marikar, though, was impressed with the talent coming out of the woodwork and urged whoever takes office at SLR early next month to retain a foreign coach for both formats, to professionally nurture the emerging talent for both international and domestic competitions.
Legendary former Sri Lanka skipper Piyantha Ekanayake too echoed the sentiments expressed by his two ex-colleagues, and invited their critics to look at the broader picture and comment, instead of looking at it through tinted glasses.
“The results are there for all to see,” the former number eight argued. “We brought down the New Zealand U85 KG team and then we made a good fist of it in the Asian Rugby Emirates Championship and lost narrowly to Korea. Then in the Sevens circuit we have progressed steadily.”
He said the recent revival of the national team’s fortunes in 15s and Sevens versions has taken place, despite a defunct governing body, and urged the critics to consider that aspect as well, before opting to go after people who are genuinely interested in taking rugby to the next level.