Inter-schools rugby tournament cancelled

The Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association (SLSRFA) took a unanimous decision to cancel the forthcoming Under-20 Inter-School League Tournament due to lack of cohesion between teams due to contest the tournament.

The SLSRFA which had a crucial meeting on April 7 (Tuesday) decided to allow all Division I Group ‘A’ and Group ‘B’ teams to contest the upcoming season on a friendly basis.

“We decided to allow all school teams to compete friendly games, after we failed to arrive at a final decision on the placing of teams for the League,” said Secretary of the SLSRFA Kumara Rodrigo.

“After the recent Enjoining Order brought against the SLSRFA by St. Anthony’s, Katugastota, two other Kandy schools Dharmaraja and Vidyartha also requested to be promoted to Division I Group ‘A’.

“However, due to time constraints and the inability to finalize the playing schedule for all these teams, we asked all the teams in the two groups to arrange and play their games on a friendly nature.”

Rodrigo, noted that with the scrapping of the 2009 Under-20 League tournament, the new sponsor YFM too had declined to continue as the sponsor but he assured the forthcoming Milo President’s Trophy Knock-out Tournament will be conducted as scheduled in the months of June-July.

“The Milo President’s Trophy sponsored by Nestle Lanka Limited will not be affected in any way due to the shelving of the Under-20 League tourney,” he further emphasised.

“The final quarter-final draw will be done by the SLSRF, and we intend to finish the tournament on time.”

Kumara Rodrigo also added that from the 2010 inter-school rugby season onwards there will be a clear policy as to whether the majority schools favour an official league or to indulge in friendly matches, and stressed that the SLSRFA will take measures to prevent schools from taking the game’s main ruling body to court for every vexed issue that crops up like the drop of a hat. JK