Clubs may field three foreigners from next year

Ranjeeva Seneviratne

Club rugby in Sri Lanka will receive a tremendous boost next year on a proposal made by the council of the SLRFU to allow all 'A' Division clubs to field three foreigners in their teams in the 2012 rugby season.

The proposal which has been forwarded to the clubs for their opinion will enable all eight 'A' Division clubs - Kandy SC, Navy, Havelocks, CR and FC, Air Force, Army, CH and FC and Police to field three foreigners for the 2012 rugby season if all eight clubs agree. This decision was taken by the council of the SLRFU with the intention of ensuring a level playing field and improving the skills of the local players. This was evident at the Carlton Super Sevens which concluded on Sunday in which the foreigners who represented the 10 teams gave a dazzling display and also helped to raise the standard of the local players who played alongside them.

This year the SLRFU gave the greenlight for the last four teams of the 2010 league tournament to field two foreigners each which saw Havelocks, CH and FC and Army including foreigners in their teams.

Havelocks benefited immensely by the inclusion of three top foreigners - Samoan Angsta Sae, Tongans Atella Uaisele and Paula Talaka with the Park club ending up third in the Caltex 'A' Division League having finished last in the 2010 League. The Sri Lanka Army too improved vastly by playing two Fijians in the second round of the Caltex 'A' Division League with two stunning wins over CH and FC and Police and holding the formidable Air Force to a 19-all draw.

CH and FC is the only team which failed to impress in the Caltex 'A' Division League with a solitary 43-15 win over Army in the first round game despite obtaining the services of five foreigners - Fijians Iliesa Salusalu, Driu Qoro, Apsi Nagata Rogo and the Kenyan duo of Ernest Ngong and Stefan Augustine.

incidentally CH and FC was the first club to field foreigners in the 'A' Division League when scrum half Apsi Nagata and centre Jalasi Radrardo turned out for them in 1986. Later Nagata along with the Fijian duo of Manasa Qoro and Ilatia Ravouvou played a major role in the success of CH and FC during the five-year period between 1990 and 1994 during which they clinched the triple crown thrice. In 2003 too CH and FC had a marvellous season emerging runners-up of the Caltex 'A' Division League and Clifford Cup helped to a large extent by the individual brilliance of Samoan 'Man Mountain' Fred Moe and Fijian Jimmy Bolokoro.