- A Lankan who dares to conquer the land of the mighty All Blacks
Today we have a man who has achieved great heights in the land of the mighty All Blacks: Niranjan ‘Nira’ Ranasinghe. Coach Nira joins us at The Daily Morning Sports from Auckland, New Zealand. He is a world rugby level three coach, strength and conditioning expert, and an athlete mentor equipped with mind-calming techniques. Hailing from the hill capital of Kandy, Nira spent his formative boyhood years at the school where river, lake, and mountain meet, and reached the pinnacle of every schoolboy’s dream by donning the Lankan national jersey in the early 2000s. Let’s now delve deep into the life and times of our protagonist of the day.
Coach, what's the motive in your sporting life?
Passion + Expertise + Usefulness = Dharma
“My Dharma”: A coach and mentor who wants to bring out the best in people/athletes and value knowledge and wisdom.
Coach, how was rugby life back in Sri Lanka growing up?
Growing up, watching the game locally – as we had limited resources to watch the international stage back then – our heroes and role models were school and club rugby players. Later, the influence of foreign players representing club rugby and foreign coaches was the icing on the cake for us. Now, as we speak, Muaard, everything is at your fingertips, so it was very different.
The good memories were of playing rugby in junior school with fellow mates. And later, playing in the prestigious Bradby Shield with your mates, representing the whole school, was something you will always cherish – because the path to get there wasn't a battle of ability and talent alone, but also having to contend with other uncontrollable agendas that permeate our society.
I would like to thank Kandy Sports Club, the late Alex Lazarus, the late George Simpkins, Laga, Priyantha Ekanayake, Indrajith Bandaranayake, and Malik Samarawickrema, who guided and helped me a lot during my time with Kandy. Not to forget, having the exposure to play and being under the guidance of inspirational leaders of the calibre of the late Sajith Mallikaarachchi, Nalaka Weerakkody, and Harris Omar was such an honour. By far, Sajith was the best captain I have ever played under.
Finally, representing Sri Lanka Rugby was a great memory, playing with some great players like Lewke, Sean, Sella, Vitha, Kalu, and Rajja, to name a few, whom we played with since our school days.
Most importantly the “Rock”, my late father, was the main reason I fell in love with this sport. Without his support and commitment, I wouldn’t have gotten this far.
School rugby in Sri Lanka, the most followed school sport in the island… Where are we at?
Since 2017, I've closely followed Sri Lanka schools rugby, and I must express my admiration for the dedication demonstrated by each school in nurturing the sport. It's truly impressive to see the commitment in terms of both time and resources that these schools invest in their development. I want to give a special shoutout to schools outside the top five rankings and in segment B. Their passion and willingness to learn and improve, despite limited resources, are truly inspiring, and credit is due to the coaching staff.
Regarding the game itself, there has been noticeable improvement in various aspects, such as our proficiency in running, catching, passing, executing the "Keep the Ball Alive" (KBA) technique, and refining the kicking game. These soft skills, which include high flexibility skills, have contributed to the beauty of certain teams' gameplay. It's essential to recognise and commend the coaching staff for their role in this progress.
In addition, I believe it's crucial to highlight certain areas that require more attention, in alignment with the discussions held by my good friend Boa Athu in his show and articles throughout the season.
- Strength and conditioning: We should examine the high number of injuries in school rugby. Every school faces this issue, and it's essential for coaches and strength-and-conditioning trainers to delve into why these injuries occur. (I will discuss this in more depth in a separate article.)
- Fundamental skills – precision matters: Emphasis should be placed on mastering fundamental skills with high precision. This includes early catch in passing, proper tackling techniques (targeting below the sternum and focusing on the ball), carrying the ball effectively into contact, and refining line-out lifts through repetition and coach feedback.
- Dialling back to the laws and principles of rugby simplification and innovation: It's crucial to simplify coaching methods, considering that young players are enthusiastic learners who may make mistakes in a fast-paced, modern world. The key is to identify individual strengths and weaknesses, with a focus on mindset (a topic for future discussion).
- Fostering a learning environment: Creating an environment where young players can learn, have fun, and compete is essential. This involves merging skill development, athleticism, and a positive mindset to enhance overall performance and foster the X factor in players.
In summary, Sri Lanka Schools Rugby has shown remarkable dedication to the game's development, especially among schools beyond the top five and in segment B. There's notable progress in areas like run-catch-pass, offloading, and kicking skills, thanks to the passionate coaching staff. However, there are areas that need more attention, including injury prevention, precise fundamental skills, simplification of coaching methods, and fostering a positive learning environment for young players.
My drive is, as I mentioned above, to see an athlete grow and develop. That's a job well done!
Niranjan Ranasinghe, what is your final piece of advice to young, budding rugby players?
Learn what rugby is about! The principles of play and laws of the game. Then simplify the principles of play in both attack and defence.
Be consistent – Follow a plan; be able to adapt.
Have a mentor/coach.
Strengths and weaknesses.
Measure.
Analyse.
Workons from the game.
Have fun – Learn – Compete – Perform
