• Association should put its foot down: Former President of SLSRFA 

A long-serving former President of the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association (SLSRFA) has said that decisions taken by the association were final concerning all tournaments it supervised in the country.

Former President of the SLSRFA Ranjith Chandrasekara said that if there were any schools that failed to adhere to rules and regulations set forth, those schools should withdraw from participation and allow others to proceed rather than striving to hold the schools association to ransom.

“The final word always stays with the organising committee of tournaments run by an association,” Chandrasekara told The Sunday Morning Sports.

“The participants have no alternative but to adhere to the rules and regulations set forth by the association. If they have any grievances, they can always convey those to the association, but I do not agree that those taking part have the God-given right to dictate terms to the organisers.”

He was referring to recent press reports, which alleged that certain schools had mulled pulling out of the upcoming Under 19 Inter-School Rugby League if the SLSRFA failed to overturn a contentious format introduced by it ahead of the season proper. The format has mandated all schools which qualify for the Super Round to play their fixtures on neutral venues instead of the grounds of the host school.

A few prominent schools have alleged that the association has introduced the controversial format with the ulterior motive of ripping off gate collections of schools that make it to the second round.

However, Chandrasekara opined that if he had still been at the helm of the SLSRFA, he would have put his foot down and insisted that all those taking part either follow the rules or opt out of the tournament.

He asserted that he would somehow have organised the tournaments even in the absence of those who boycotted, rather than leaving any room for disruptions as “there were far more deserving schools who are always there to take the place of those who oppose”.

Chandrasekara cited a few recent examples as well. “Look at the most recent decision taken by the Lanka Premier League (LPL) organisers,” the former Principal of Kingswood added.

“Once the owner of the Dambulla Thunders team was arrested, produced in court, and then remanded, they promptly announced that the tournament would not be postponed or cancelled but would proceed ahead as planned, with the franchise in question coming under new owners.”

He similarly took the example of drop-in pitches being used in the US for the forthcoming International Cricket Council (ICC) Men’s T20 World Cup by USA Cricket.

“Just imagine how it would be if some teams were to oppose this tactic and were to pull out of the World Cup citing that they were unwilling to play on drop-in pitches brought from Australia,” he argued.

“Will the ICC then postpone it or even cancel it? No! It will tell those countries it will proceed as scheduled with those ready to play, replacing those who withdraw. The ICC will probably punish those who refuse to play. 

“The word of the controlling body is final. Either you comply or you opt out. You cannot hold the governing body to ransom.”

Asked what the plight of the tournament would be if any schools opposed to the format were to seek legal redress, Chandrasekara said that if certain schools were to explore that particular opportunity, its “dire consequences” would be felt by all concerned.

Meanwhile, officials from the schools association have rubbished suggestions that they were planning to tamper with gate collections of teams which qualify for the Super Round of what forms a sudden-death format this year.

They have countered the allegation by insisting that sponsors attached to certain schools had spread the rumour with the fear of “their pot of gold being robbed in broad daylight by the ruling body,” as one official from the SLSRFA put it.