Greening new Sri Lanka coach

Yasaratne GAMAGE

Phil Greening, an Englishman from the Northern Hemisphere will share Sri Lankan sunshine with the rugby national pool as he has been appointed as the new national rugby coach in line with few other changes made by SLRFU president Asanga Seneviratne . Former coach of English Premier League team,’ Bath and former English National Sevens assistant coach Phil Greening's service will be utilized at an expenditure of Rs 20 million for a two year contract.

The selected 40 member pool will be coached by Phil with the aim of a promotion at the upcoming Asian Five Nations rugby tournament and also to maintain proper rugby environment to help better administration and player welfare.

At a press briefing held at CH and FC auditorium on Monday, Asanga also said that the club season has been shifted to a period between October and April in 2012-13 and the main reason is to avoid club fixtures clash with schools rugby season. However the 2012 season will run as usual.

The SLRFU will contract 27 players for two months initially and will pay them backdated, from February to ensure that the players would be full time participants of the game. It was further revealed that anti doping tests will be carried out by Sports Medicine Unit randomly.