• Right royal battle for SLR Presidency 

Two ex-Sri Lanka, CR and FC and Royal backrow forwards, namely former captain Pavithra Fernando and Lasitha Gunarathne are set to vie for the Presidency of Sri Lanka rugby (SLR) at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) which is set to be held on Wednesday (8).

But, with the majority of members of Pavithra Fernando’s team being elected uncontested, the former Sri Lanka skipper may have already stolen  the thunder of Lasitha ‘Bonsa’ Gunarathne, who is set to battle his junior opponent for the high stakes post next week.

The election of office bearers for Sri Lanka Rugby is due to get underway at the Duncan White Auditorium at the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, on the said date. 

Both Fernando and Gunarathne-a former SLR President himself, became eligible to contest the top post after the five-member Election Committee formed to oversee the election, officially announced the list of nominations as per Article 20.9 of the SLR Constitution, on Tuesday (30 Sept.).

The Election Committee is headed by retired Judge of the Court of Appeal (CA) Lalith Jayasuriya and its other members are retired Colombo High Court Judge Nimal Ranaweera, Elections retired Commissioner General M. M. Mohamed, Dilum Dayaratne-an official nominated by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and National Olympic Committee (NOC) General Secretary Rifdy Fahmy-who is the representative on behalf of the Olympic Committee, with rugby being an Olympic sport.  

For next week’s AGM, where a new set of office bearers for Sri Lanka Rugby is due to be elected for the term 2025-27, the following clubs are entitled to the below mentioned number of votes.

They are Kandy Sports Club (6), Ceylonese Rugby and Football Club-CR and FC (6), Ceylonese Hockey and Football Club-CH and FC (6), Havelocks Sports Club (6), Sri Lanka Police Sports Club (7), Sri Lanka Army Sports Club (7), Sri Lanka Air Force Sports Club (7), Sri Lanka Navy Sports Club (7), Sabaragamuwa Province Rugby Football union (2).