• Eye-gouging of players to the fore 
• Hosting rights still in the balance 

D. S Senanayake College has officially lodged a complaint with the Rugby Football Referees Society of Sri Lanka (RFRSL) via the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association (SLSRFA), on allegations of dangerous play by Isipathana College last Sunday (3).

This was confirmed to The Daily Morning Sports, by the SLSRFA  Secretary Manuja Nimmana.

The match between the two schools as part of the ongoing Dialog Schools League rugby tournament was won 33-10 by Isipathana, but not before several instances of flare ups between the two sides during a feisty and ill-tempered game controlled by referee Jeewaka Fonseka.

Nimmana said that D. S. Senanayake College had alleged in its complaint that the match had been marred by systemic dangerous and unsportsmanlike conduct on the part of the Havelock Town-based school with a few of its players being injured in the process. 

D. S. Senanayake had stated that such dangerous play is tantamount to eye-gouging of players which is outlawed as per World Rugby laws enacted by the game’s global governing body, would be harmful to players, while bringing disrepute to players and the sport itself.

The SLSRFA Secretary noted that as the complaint was being considered by the Referees Society, he would not want to comment on the issue further.

Nimmana – also the principal of Kiriporuwa Maha Vidyalaya, Eheliyagoda, added that the Referees Society along with the school’s controlling body and Sri Lanka Rugby are determined to nip such acts in the bud.

This is with a view to safeguard the sanctity of the game while ensuring the health and safety of players.

Principal of D. S. Sampath Weragoda addressing a media briefing on Tuesday (5), acknowledged there were several instances of questionable decisions given against his team by the referee concerned in the match against Isipathana College last Sunday.

He noted that they were currently processing how they could forward their grievances legally over the nasty incidents, which a few of his team’s players were subjected to in the match in question and said the press will be apprised of further action in this regard. 

Meanwhile, the Schools Rugby Association Secretary maintained the hosting rights of D. S. Senanayake College has been temporarily suspended pertaining to an ongoing preliminary probe into an alleged assault incident of referee Suranga Aruna Shantha a fortnight ago.

This was following the Dialog Schools League rugby match between D.S. and Sri Sumangala College, Kandy which was dramatically edged by the visitors 28-26 at Havelock Park on 24 April, despite a strong second-half fightback by the hosts.

After the match the referee concerned had been allegedly chased down by a biker gang consisting of irate D. S. supporters among whom had been a few Air Force personnel, after which the former had escaped by heading to the Narahenpita Police Station.

Nimmana said that as of now D.S. will be forced to play their annual fixture against St. Anthony’s College Kandy at Kandy rather than at Havelock Park.

However, the principal of the Wijerama Mawatha-based school maintained that his school was still in consultations with the SLSRFA to restore hosting rights for the school.

He vehemently dismissed allegations that any member of its support or school staff had been involved in pursuing the referee after the match against Sumangala and stressed that no such untoward incident had taken place during the game.