Rugby talk with Siva

Provincial rugby unions and ghost clubs

IN the early nineties a new constitution of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union was introduced in order to create Provincial Rugby Unions for the propagation of rugby among the schools in the provinces and also for the creation of rugby Clubs in the provinces.

The man behind this idea was Jeff Matheson, a New Zealander who was in Sri Lanka on a coaching mission. He was also a former New Zealand All Blacks rugby player.

This was similar to the system in New Zealand where the Clubs in the provinces play each other in a domestic tournament and thereafter the provincial team play in the Inter Provincial Tournaments.

This concept worked well in New Zealand, which is a large country with vast Financial resources. But for a small country like Sri Lanka this has not had success as we do not have the financial avenues.

The Provincial Unions in Sri Lanka and their Clubs are only in name without any infrastructure such as grounds, Club House and other facilities. Presently the number of Clubs are made use of only for voting purposes at the Annual General Meeting of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union and thereafter these Clubs remain as ghost clubs.

These Provincial Unions are dependent on individuals such as Kumar Abeywardena of the Ruhunu RFU and Arjun Dharmadasa of the Sabaragamuwa RFU and very little is known of their Office Bearers. Only the Western Province RFU and the Central Province RFU have been functioning well holding Annual elections.

But as regards the formation of new Clubs in the Provinces it has been a farce and it is only the old traditional Clubs that have been in existence long before the introduction of the new constitution which contribute to the continuance of rugby in Sri Lanka.

In the Western Province CR & FC, CH & FC, Havelocks SC, Police SC, Army SC, Navy SC and Air Force SC play in the major tournaments. There is also a new Club - the Old Zahirian SC which play in the major league. But all the other Clubs registered with the Union are only in name.

The Colombo Clubs had their second strings such as CR Bees, CH Kabarogoyas, Havelocks Bambaras, Police Griffins, Army Colts, Airforce Chipmunks and Navy Dreadnoughts who play good rugby in the B Division tournament along with the Universities. Earlier there were the CR Cossacks, CH Thalagoyas and Havelocks Baracudas who too played. But today they have become extinct.

In the up country before the formation of the new constitution Kandy SC, DMCC, DACC, Uva and KV played in the major league for the Clifford Cup. For a few years Kandy Lake Club too played big time rugby. But today only Kandy SC is playing in the A Division.

During the sixties the Clifford Cup tournament was the premier tournament in the Country and CR & FC, CH& FC, Havelocks SC, Kandy SC, DMCC, DACC, Uva, Kelani Valley, Police SC, Army SC, Air Force SC, Navy SC, Universities and Kandy Lake Club played in this tournament against each other fourteen matches on a home and away basis.

Thereafter the first 8 teams played on a knock out basis for the Clifford Cup. These matches drew large crowds and were very popular.

But today only CR & FC, CH & FC, Havelock SC, Kandy SC, Police SC, Army SC, Air Force SC, Navy SC and OZSC are playing in the major league tournaments in spite of the introduction of the new constitution to form new clubs to popularize rugby in the Provinces which is very sad for rugby in the country. The crowds today at rugby matches too have dwindled.

Since the Provincial Union came into existence several new clubs have been registered by the Provincial Union with the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union such as follows:

Western Province

University of Kelaniya, Kotalawela Defence Academy, University of Colombo, University of Moratuwa, Peterson Sports Club, University of Sri Jayawardenapura, Jawatte "Lions" RFC, Puffins Sports Club and Rugby Football Club an Honorary Club formed by past National players which is now defunct.

Central Province

Katugastota RFC, Polgolla RFC, Matale RFC, Dambulla RFC, Old Anthonians RFC, Kurunagela RFC, N' Eliya RFC, Wattranthanna RFC, Aruppola RFC and Dambulla RFC.

Ruhunu Province

Galle RFC, Ruhunu RFC, Matara RFC, Bentota RFC, Hambantota RFC, Old Thomas RFC, Old Mary RFC, Richmondite RFC, Koggala RFC, Old Devapathiraja RFC, Old Vidyaloka RFC and Old Aloysius RFC

Sabaragamuwa Province

Kelani Valley Sports Club, Balangoda RFC, Kegalle RFC, Ratnapura RFC, Eheliyagoda RFC, Embilipitiya RFC, Sulaiman RFC and University of Sabaragamuwa

North Central Province

Anuradapura RFC, Cambridge RFC and Gajaba Army SC.

North Western Province, which had a club in Kurunagela and played in the major tournament for a few years have not registered any Clubs with the Union.

Going by the activities of the above Clubs it is abundantly clear that they have not contributed to the furtherance of rugby in the Country and appear to be only Ghost Clubs and which are being used by the Provincial Unions to get voting rights at the annual general meeting of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union.

Presently the allocation of the voting rights to the Provincial Unions are thus:

Western Province RFU - 8 votes, Central Province RFU - 8 votes, Ruhunu Rugby Union- 8 votes, Sabaragamuwa Province RFU - 4 votes and North Central Province - 2 votes.

Going by the allocation of votes it is a travesty of justice for Western Province which has 8 clubs playing in the A Division, Central province having only 1 club playing in the A Division and Ruhunu Province which has no club playing in the A Division being allocated 8 votes each.

Sabaragamuwa Province which has no club playing in the A Division being allocated 4 votes and North Central Province which has only 3 unknown clubs allocated 2 votes.

Many are of the opinion that the allocation of votes to the Provinces should be reviewed according to the performances of the provincial Unions or else it should be reverted to the old system of voting where all clubs participating in the major tournaments nominate one representative to the Union council with one vote to run the affairs of the council.

The other clubs should qualify by playing in the major tournament to be considered to be members of the Union Council and enjoy voting rights.

Constituent clubs and affiliated clubs

During the fifties, sixties and seventies there were two categories of clubs in the Rugby Union. One was the Constituent Clubs and the other the Affiliated Clubs.

The Constituent Clubs were CR & FC, CH & FC, Havelocks SC, Kandy SC, DMCC, DACC, Uva & KV these Clubs played in the Clifford Cup and enjoyed two votes in the Union Council.

The Affiliated Clubs were Police SC, Army Sc, Navy SC, Air Force SC and the Universities and played in the Affiliated Club tournament and no votes in the Union Council.

During the early sixties the Affiliated Clubs were permitted to play against the Constituent Clubs in the major tournament whilst being in the B Division and they did well to beat many of the A Division Clubs.

This prompted the Affiliated Clubs to agitate for voting rights in the Union Council. In 1973 the Police under the leadership of the Inspector General of Police Stanley Senanayake appealed to the Union through Rudra Rajasingham, Deputy Inspector General of Police who later went on to become the Inspector General of Police and the President of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union, that it was unfair to allow two votes to the Constituent Clubs and deny any votes to Affiliated Clubs in spite of their good performances at the Clifford cup tournament.

After a lengthy deliberation at the AGM held in 1973 it was unanimously decided to grant one vote each to all Clubs participating in the major tournaments.

Thereafter all Clubs playing in the major tournaments enjoyed equal status in the Union and rugby in the Country prospered. But today with the introduction of the new constitution and the creation of the Provincial Union and Ghost Clubs with unjustified voting rights the rugby in Sri Lanka had come to ridicule.

It is time the Rugby Union reviewed the entire rugby structure and formulated a new format by which rugby can regain its past glory in Sri Lanka.

Ladies rugby a cabaret

Rudra Rajasingham, the former President of the Rugby Union and a rugby stalwart commenting on the rugby development in Sri Lanka stated that Women participating in rugby is more a cabaret than playing rugby and said that the Union should concentrate in improving our National rugby rather than waste time and money on ladies rugby.

He also said that the Union should help the Clubs such as Dimbulla, Dickoya, Uva and Kelany Valley who played good rugby in the major tournaments to again rebuild their rugby and play along side the other leading Clubs in the major tournaments.

Archibald Perera remembered

Archibald Perera, the former Peterite, CR & FC and Ceylon Fly Half whose name was Synonymous with "Dummies" was remembered at the opening of the Archives and Museum Center at St. Peter's College on 10th March 2005 at St. Peter's College by Dr. P. R. Anthonis, the Doyen of Surgeons in Sri Lanka who was the chief guest.

C. E. Maurice Perera another Peterite of repute and the Chairman of the Organizing Committee making the keynote address paid a glowing tribute to Archibald Perera as the first Rugby Captain to lead the St. Peter's College team to Championship by defeating Trinity College, Royal College and Zahira College who were the only other 3 schools who were playing rugby during that period.