On what basis was the Sevens Rugby Coach appointed?
View(s):When the hierarchy of Rugby Governance in Sri Lanka pleads ignorance, one wonders whether it is by convenience or choice. The latest “we don’t know” is about the appointment of a coach for the National Sevens team that is to play in Borneo in the Asia Pacific Series. This tournament was on the calendar for around three months. The Sri Lankans will not travel to Chennai for the Olympic pre-qualifier which means the next two teams, Philippines or Korea cannot stake a claim to join Japan and Hong Kong at the Olympics. Suddenly voices are heard and ‘I don’t know
The Sri Lanka 7s team had a fairly good season in 2014
how’ is muttered asking who appointed a coach?
The members on the apex body should have been asking about the preparation for these tournaments. Sevens should have been a strong focal point in the strategy for rugby Sri Lanka. How, what and if should have been brainstormed and plans put in place to achieve our goal of being among the better Sevens teams at least in Asia.
If a simple SWOT analysis was done even by a schoolboy we should have realised that our strength is with the Sevens. The opportunities are ahead for us in a number of tournaments in Asia. The addition this year is the Asia Pacific tournament and the Olympic pre-qualifiers. Fifteens is not a game that can take Sri Lanka to higher levels of participation. Have a look at the games and count the resets and the scrums going down you would realise that we don’t have good front row forwards. Without them Fifteens is a difficult proposition. Like the Fijians, the Sri Lankan could be a marvel on the Sevens field.
Extending the opportunities we would have been able to show case ourselves and be a nation of worthy Sevens players with more competitions that would chart a place for us. Is Sri Lanka ready for this next step in World Rugby or are we continuing to be a nation that marks the attendance register and provide numbers.
There is no point at this late stage to mutter and murmur as to how the coach was appointed and or who he is, when these questions should have been done sometime back. The problem as I have said before lies with those who warm chairs and are numbers in the council but make no positive contribution to the development of the game. It is not late even at this stage to get on and look to developing the sevens pool as there are more opportunities in the year ahead.
It appears that the weakness in a SWOT is the body of rugby in Sri Lanka. While we talk and make a little bit of noise before a tournament, little will happen to effect changes as it is safe to let a status quo prevail and be happy to go with it while making a queer comment here and there. The garrulous have a day shouting at matches and casting remarks as to how a match is officiated while little else is igniting the park.
The Union with a lot of pushing from the Chairman of the Interim Committee for Referees, Chula Dharmadasa has decided to enforce the World Rugby code of conduct and call for adherence to appendix 1.
The Disciplinary Committee issued sentences for two people to be involved with Navy Rugby and followed up with a similar action on the Manager and Technical Zone Official of Kandy Sports Club. In a similar issue the schools section decided to use the whip and has banned an Official attached to a Sports Committee and a parent of St. Joseph’s College from attending rugby matches and included specifically are two matches to be played by the school.
Many may argue about action is being taken on persons who are not in the playing area, enclosure or involve incidents outside the playing enclosure. The World Rugby code is specific and protects match officials in and out if the field. Match officials are just not referees but includes Match Commissioners, Citing Officers, Coaches of Match Officials, Tournament Committee as well as Office Bearers of the Organisers whether it be the Union the schools section and or others.
Imagine a situation of a banned official sitting on the bench and the Match Commissioner asking him to leave as it is his job and then having to face the consequence. If this action is not taken which involves referee abuse at this time there would have been a day not far off form today that any official including the organizers may have not been safe. At the moment the message has been spread and there is much discipline on the sidelines. Sideline is where the rot starts and the supporters take a cue.
The school section for rugby is working towards more on field discipline as the standards have to be set for the boys to learn and enjoy the sport. The SLSRFA has started a course of workshops aimed at educating the masters of the need to adhere to a code and the tournament guidelines. In the process they are strengthening the role of the match commissioner and also intend to introduce citing during matches. Other areas they have discussed is to have more discipline in the technical zones and the benches and may insist that those who are allowed to be water carriers have to perform that role and the physiotherapist does that job and coaches don’t masquerade as a water boy or a medical assistant. Maybe the next step that is being discussed will bring more sense if the benches are kept away from the playing enclosure and those in the playing enclosure will be only the water carriers and medical assistants and the physiotherapist if any. At the recent meeting most school panjandrums agreed that the rot starts from the bench as gesticulations are made and the crowds pick them up.
Vimal Perera is a former Rugby Referee, coach and Accredited Referees Evaluator IRB