Rugby administration in Sri Lanka which is functioning akin to a rudderless ship has been brought down to its knees, while becoming a laughing stock, as selectors here have been reduced to mere puppets, concerned parties allege.
This situation has been created as selections for the critical one-off Test Sri Lanka is due to play against Malaysia on 19 April, has apparently not been done by them, but by an unknown faction wielding undue clout, insiders told The Daily Morning Sports.
The forthcoming match is part of the Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship 2025 and whoever prevails in it, will get to face the likes of Hong Kong, UAE and Korea on a home and away basis. The games between them will determine the country which secures the passage from the region to the 2027 Rugby world Cup in Australia, alongside Asia’s premier rugby nation Japan.
A prominent former national player, who apparently is also a member of the four-member rugby selection panel bemoaned the current state of affairs. He was at a loss to fathom where the game is headed in this country, in light of rugby selections for the national team being taken over by the powers that be and them being there only on a nominal capacity.
“We chose certain players and sent those names to the Competent Authority (CA),” he said, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
“And the final selections will probably be done by him or those who are associated with him in the Sports Ministry. We do not know as to whether our selections will be accepted or not and this is the practice that is implemented, as there is no rugby administration in Sri Lanka, since May 2024.”
The accepted practice in sports in this country where there are selectors to select teams for international assignments is for them to engage in that task and send the final squad for the approval of the minister concerned.
However, with there not being an elected body to control rugby in Sri Lanka and from all accounts, the rugby selectors have been demeaned like never before and reduced to a set of dummies, ahead of the tie against Malaysia.
These selectors are only functioning on paper to furnish a set of names to the Competent Authority, who it seems is undertaking the onerous challenge of choosing the captain and the 23-member squad for the upcoming internationals all by himself.
Asked whether a captain has been named ahead of the match against Malaysia, the ex-national star said that as selectors they have sent a name to those at the helm of the SLR, which in effect is the CA. But, beyond it he was in the dark, as to who had been chosen to lead the home team’s charge and was less than optimistic of the home side’s chances against the world’s 50th ranked rugby nation.
Pressed for his views on the preparations of the islanders, ahead of next Saturday’s clash at Race Course Grounds, he added that they were grappling with a spate of injuries to key players and was unsure as to what sort of squad could be put out on the day.
He warned that with a few expatriate players in their ranks Malaysia will provide a stiff examination for the ‘Tuskers’, who are ranked 10 places above their visitors in the World Rugby Rankings.
Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) has been brought under the control of a Competent Authority (CA) since May last year, after its Council was suspended by ex-Minister of Sports Harin Fernando. Since then the game’s local ruling body has been defunct, while officials from a few Provincial Unions have instituted legal action against the CA. This is over his alleged failure to oversee the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of SLR as promised to the Judiciary.
The Competent Authority of Sri Lanka Rugby Shemal Fernando addressing a press conference on Wednesday (9) ahead of the match against Malaysia said that the best squad possible will be put out for the game. He was however non committal as to who will lead the team and about the composition of the final 23.