AR issues ultimatum to Sri Lanka: Reform by June or face sanctions
The correspondence suggests severe consequences should Sri Lanka disregard these conditions, including a World Rugby global sanction. Moreover, the Sri Lankan team could lose their hard-earned position in the Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship, an event serving as a 2027 Rugby World Cup qualifier.
Since May 2024, SLR has operated under a Competent Authority (CA)—a role filled by Director General of Sports Shemal Fernando. The May 12 communiqué, delivered just three days before the rescheduled Contempt of Court proceedings against SLR’s CA, stipulates that Sri Lanka must “adopt and implement a revised constitution and conduct elections by June 15.”
The letter states: “In light of Asia Rugby’s continued commitment to supporting Sri Lanka Rugby and preventing the imposition of a suspension by World Rugby, we respectfully propose the following immediate measures to safeguard Sri Lanka Rugby’s eligibility to participate in the forthcoming Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship and to preserve its membership with both World Rugby and Asia Rugby, should it fail to adopt and implement a revised constitution and conduct elections by June 15.”
Notably, among the nine copied recipients are four Sri Lankan officials, including the CA who arguably should have been the primary addressee rather than the Sports Minister. These officials comprise Parinda Ranasinghe PC (Attorney General), Aruna Bandara (Sports Ministry Secretary), Shemal Fernando (Director General of Sports) and Suresh Subramaniam (National Olympic Committee President).
If AR, currently headed by Qais Abdullah Al Dhalai, who also serves as a Council Member of World Rugby (WR), genuinely wishes to address SLR’s issues amicably and in accordance with the local body’s existing constitution—which both regional and world bodies are determined to amend—the letter should have been directly addressed to the CA, who currently oversees rugby affairs in
Sri Lanka.
The number of communications sent to the CA by AR and WR during the past few months, citing various deadlines for SLR’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) or elections, amounts to more than six.
In 2025 alone, two deadlines were issued—one on or before January 13, and the latest being June 15, according to an official and immaculate letter issued on February 14, by WR, signed by its Chief of International Federation, David Carrigy. That correspondence clearly outlined how SLR should proceed with ample time remaining.
“The World Rugby Executive Board has granted an extension for a period of no longer than four (4) months, i.e. from February 15, until June 15, 2025, within which time all outstanding governance matters concerning SLRU must be adequately resolved. A failure to approve and enact a new constitution and hold elections, (in accordance with the applicable legal and governance procedures within this timeframe), will result in the immediate imposition of sanctions upon SLRU,” clearly stated the letter from WR sent three months ago to CA.
Unlike the letter from WR, addressed orderly to (1) President Qais Abdulla Al Dhalai of Asia Rugby, (2) President Suresh Subramaniam of National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka and (3) Professor (Rear Admiral) Shemal Fernando, Director General of Sports and Competent Authority for Sri Lanka Rugby, AR’s letter clearly indicates its hidden motive.
The letter is addressed to the Minister of Sports, and copied to the Attorney General of Sri Lanka. The Secretary of the Ministry of Sports perhaps has a role to play or needs the letter as an update to the never-ending fiasco of SLR, which is currently under one of its own officials. The President of NOCSL, who should have been the first or second in line, has been pushed to fourth despite his role for more than 12 months to help ensure rugby remains within the Olympic Charter.
The proper protocol AR should have followed is SLR first (in which case CA or the DG should be the person addressed), Ministry of Sport, and then the NOCSL. The inclusion of the Attorney General remains a mystery that warrants deeper examination—why would a regional sports body approach the custodian of the country’s legal system, rather than facilitating its own affiliation to regain administrative stability?
Instead, AR now requests the “Ministry of Sports, in coordination with the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka, to formally commit to provide three reports”, a peculiar request considering SLR has been under the DG of Sports for more than a year now.
The reports requested by AR are: the official report, duly signed and endorsed by the Scrutinising Committee/Due Diligence Committee; the investigation report pertaining to the Annual General Meeting that was scheduled for January 21, 2025; and the formal notice and confirmed date of the Special General Meeting convened to adopt the revised Constitution, as proposed by the Constitutional Review Group comprising representatives from World Rugby, Asia Rugby, the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka, and all relevant stakeholders of Sri Lanka Rugby.
“This formal commitment must be submitted no later than May 23, 2025, in the form of an official letter jointly signed by Your Honourable Self (Minister of Sports) and His Excellency Mr. Suresh Subramaniam, President of the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka. We respectfully reiterate that failure to meet these conditions will result in Sri Lanka Rugby’s exclusion from the Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship and may lead to the immediate imposition of sanctions, as previously outlined by World Rugby in its correspondence dated February 14, 2025.”
If AR and WR are keen to resolve the long overdue issue, one of them could have given the clear reasons before slapping SLR with a straightforward suspension, rather than playing hide and seek. Failure to comply with their own official decisions means that they, as the regional and world body, too are well aware of their limits in meddling within a country’s own laws, in this case Sri Lanka.
AR’s recent blunder involved failing to oust Kensuke Iwabuchi, the Chairman of Japan Rugby Football Union, from its Executive Committee, following a temporary suspension, which was successfully countered by the Asian rugby heavyweight. WR’s Disciplinary Officer, upon an impartial hearing, noted that “Mr. Iwabuchi (was) making entirely reasonable queries regarding the nature and contents of this documentation (Non-Disclosure Agreement, Executive Committee Employment Declaration, and Declaration of Income from Rugby-Related Activities from AR’s ExCo), which evidences good governance practice on his part.
“In summary, the finding is that Mr. Iwabuchi’s conduct in relation to this matter does not suggest any breach of Asia Rugby’s Articles of Association, Constitution and/or Code of Conduct, and/or World Rugby Regulation 18. World Rugby has notified Asia Rugby and the Japan Rugby Football Union of its decision and expects that Mr. Iwabuchi will be reinstated to his position,” a media release by WR issued on April 23 said.
But Sri Lanka’s issue has a different perspective, hinting at involvement of one or more suspected hidden hands operating from behind to escalate or further harness a simple and resolvable issue into a virtual global crisis. Though AR say they “remain fully committed to the advancement, reform, and integrity of SLR”, it’s unclear if they are willing to follow their own motto — “We can do better but together” — together perhaps with a selected handful who are willing to give up their integrity for self-gain.