The spirit of the game is all that matters
View(s):About eight hundred tiny tots of rugby were at the CR grounds on Sunday for tag rugby. The festival was for boys under the age of 10 and 12 and 
this was the seventh year in succession. This was the second for 2015. This is what community rugby is about and this carnival named KIK COLA Super 16 Junior Rugby is organised by a group comprising of old boys of different schools in Colombo. They should be congratulated for this effort as the incubator of rugby is looked after.
The important aspect of this festival was that there were no trophies on offer and participation and playing in the spirit of the game was drilled into the minds of the babes of rugby. The organisers had also suitably adjusted the laws to prevent one big boy running through the Lilliputians. The game was about development of skills and enjoying. This encouraged passing and also focused on ball handing and team work. This tournament is made a possibility by the untiring efforts of old boys of different schools and their team that looked glamorous as they kept running about to keep to time and see that each pitch is not kept without a match. Talent was both on and off the field and added the color to the event.
A man on the field was a man to be remembered as a pioneer of this carnival: Summa Navaratnam who was seen on the field having celebrated his 90th Birthday. Summa once the fastest man in Asia still had the bounce in him. Great work great man.
The sore point of the day was the encroaching of adults to the field and then gets into arguments with the organisers who are rugby community volunteers. A rugby ground should give the required atmosphere for the tots to play in the correct spirit. Being drenched in spirits is not a good example while boasting of rights to be anywhere does no good for the game and those who are in the service of rugby. Take your pint and go home as this is the field for the young.
Last week was a break for Schools Rugby tournament games and there was one non tournament trophy match which was exciting as scores were close. Wesley who led for 70 minutes looked more tired and gave away the game in the last ten minutes to S. Thomas’ that looked tired for 70 minutes of the game and livened in the last ten minutes thanks to an unnamed warrior.
It is a common problem at rugby matches where a team list is not written correct and confusion arises of names numbers or positions. When a No.8 wears a No.2 jersey you talk of a hooker. Similarly referees get confused when the same number is worn by two people who could be on the field at the same time. Otherwise a player, who is changed, walks in with the jersey of a player who has been taken off. This has happened on and off. Some have got a card as the previous wearer of the jersey has been warned.
The man who fashioned the last ten minutes win for S. Thomas’ of the Sir Oliver Goonetilleke Trophy match played against Wesley was almost nameless as he was called by a wrong name. There was confusion as the player walked in with 10 minutes to go and Wesley leading by 29 points to 19. The significance of the player was that in ten minutes he changed the fortunes and S. Thomas’ became winners of the inaugural trophy game by 36 points to 29. This boy was called Gamage but later transpired to be Dion Dias who was a soccer player who was drafted in the last two weeks as they did not have a scrum half for the Under-18 team. This day it was not Under-18 rugby. He did make a difference in the last ten minutes as he was first to arrive and distributed quick ball from the base. While distributing quick ball he kept encouraging the rest of the team who were on low key at the end of 70 minutes. His passing was not excellent but quick and made a difference to the Mount team’s back division. As the game progressed in those last ten minutes his passing improved and he was keen as mustard and tried changing direction. Not that he was a great technical scrum half but showed that he was in the making of being a good scrum half. He was willing to take risk and change the face of the game. To top it all he converted a try and a penalty from difficult directions.
A wrong name in a team card kept showering praise on a Gamage; when as stated in post match events it was Dion Dias. Probably no one really knew who he was as it was reported that he was new to the game. Called by your name and praised by your name is the sweetest music one may hear. That is something that will have to be understood. These are the young and restless who like to appreciate for what they have done.
* Vimal Perera is a former player, coach, referee and an IRB Accredited Referees’ Educator