- Supreme Court paves way for AGM
- Pavithra vs. Lasitha showdown arrives
The long-overdue election of office-bearers to Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) for the term 2025-237 is set to kick off finally this afternoon at 3 p.m., at the Duncan White Auditorium of the Ministry of Youth affairs and Sports, with its outcome likely to be a foregone conclusion.
Ex-Sri Lanka skipper and flanker Pavithra Fernando and former head of the sport’s local governing body and crack number eight Lasitha Gunarathne, are the two major protagonists in the contest for the top post (President).
However, according to rugby analysts, Fernando – the former CR and FC and Royal captain is a shoe-in for the coveted seat at the local ruling body, with the majority of his members being already elected uncontested.
In such a scenario, it could be termed ‘a stunning reversal’, if former CR and Royal loose forward Lasitha Gnarathne could pull through with only Hirunika Balasuriya contesting from his camp for the post of Treasurer against Nomal Ekanayake from Fernando’s group.
Among those already elected to key posts of SLR from Pavithra Fernando’s team, include Shanitha Fernando (Deputy President), S.P. Chinthaka Perera (Vice President), Subash Jayathilaka (Secretary), Stephen Gregory (Athlete Representative) and Thilini Senanayake and Apsara Gunaratne (Female Representatives), respectively.
The pathway for the staging of the AGM which had been a bone of contention since May 2024 was cleared by the Supreme Court (SC) on Friday (3).
This was when the country’s apex Court dismissed an appeal challenging the previous judgment delivered by retired Justice Mohamad Laffar and Justice Priyantha Fernando of the Court of Appeal (CA).
The appeal had been filed by a group of petitioners headed by ex-referee Roshan Deen, while the SC Bench consisted of Justices Kumudini Wickremasinghe, Janak de Silva, and Sobitha Rajakaruna.
The Supreme Court’s landmark verdict arrived hard on the heels of World Rugby – the game’s global ruling body, having issued a blunt ultimatum to SLR last week, to hold its AGM today or face a 24-month international isolation from the sport, effective tomorrow (9).
Previously, in a strongly worded letter dated 27 September addressed to the President of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) Suresh Subramaniam, WR’s Chief of International relations David Carrigy, had conveyed mounting frustration over SLR’s persistent governance failures.
Sri Lanka’s rugby scene had faced its fair share of upheavals and Court cases since the resignation of SLR’s last elected President, Rizly Illyas, in August 2023.
Since then, the sport here has gone through a stabilisation committee, a competent authority, and a working task force, with the latter headed by retired SDIG M.R. Latiff, set to relinquish office no sooner the new President is elected today.
The AGM of the SLR which was originally fixed for 9 September, 2025 was put off to this afternoon by the Election Committee (EC), which annulled the nominations of the two main factions citing technical issues.
On the advice of the EC, the working task force vacated its earlier notice to hold the AGM on 9 September, based on the Constitution of SLR and specifically Article 55 (Casus Omissus).
The working task force then issued a fresh AGM notice for 8 October, along with a new nomination process all in accordance with the new SLR Constitution.
Another key feature of the AGM is the Election Committee having opted to dismiss the voting rights of seven of the provincial unions, while only allowing Sabaragamua Province RFU to retain its right.
This, they have done while granting a few other A Division clubs seven votes, as opposed to six to which they had been entitled to during previous elections, as per the new Constitution of SLR.
The AGM today is due to be overseen by a five-member Election Committee headed by retired Court of appeal (CA) Justice Lalith Jayasuriya. Its other members are retired Colombo High Court Judge Nimal Ranaweera, retired Elections Commissioner General M.M. Mohamed, Dilum Dayaratne, and Rifdy Fahmy.