Sri Lanka Rugby elections scrapped again: Fresh AGM to be called
Proving speculations right, the Working Task Force (WTF) appointed to oversee the administration of Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) officially nullified the Annual General Meeting (AGM) that was scheduled for September 9.
According to the latest development, the entire election process will be restarted, which is expected to take approximately 45 days from the publication of the advertisement notice calling for nominations and outlining timelines.
“The Working Task Force for Sri Lanka Rugby, appointed under Gazette Extraordinary Nos. 2437/32 and 2437/33 dated May 22, 2025, wishes to inform all stakeholders of Sri Lanka Rugby and the general public that the Annual General Meeting (AGM) originally scheduled for September 9, 2025, has been vacated and a fresh AGM will be convened,” an official statement read.
As highlighted last week, ambiguity continued to surround the election process of SLR. The much-anticipated AGM and elections had already appeared to be heading towards uncertainty, as feared by rugby observers.
The Election Committee (EC), tasked with administering the long-overdue election process of SLR, did not make any official announcement after the closure of nominations on August 19. Speculation continued in both directions regarding the AGM. Until the objection period ended on August 26, no party could make an official statement. However, many hinted that the EC had rejected the entire list of nominations due to various technical issues.
“This decision follows the unanimous recommendation of the Election Committee for the SLR AGM 2025, elected at the Special General Meeting on July 28, 2025, and delivered on August 27, 2025. The committee determined that no registered member club or provincial union, except one, had submitted the documentation required to establish full membership status for the allocation of voting rights consistent with the SLR Constitution. Under these circumstances, a democratic election could not freely, lawfully or fairly proceed,” the statement continued.
“In keeping with the Constitution of SLR, specifically Article 55 (Casus Omissus), and the authority conferred by the Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, the WTF for SLR unanimously resolved to vacate the earlier notice and issue a fresh AGM notice with a new nominations process. The fresh AGM will be held in due course.”
As speculated, the election process will restart completely, beginning with newspaper advertisements calling for nominations and outlining timelines leading up to the potential date of the fresh AGM. Fresh nominations will be called in accordance with the new SLR Constitution, and the EC will oversee the scrutiny process. Representation and voting rights will be strictly applied, ensuring that only clubs and provincial unions that fulfil mandatory membership requirements are recognised at the upcoming AGM.
“This step has been taken to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process. SLR belongs to its members, and elections must reflect fair representation and transparency. By vacating the earlier AGM and calling for fresh nominations, we ensure a level playing field for all eligible members,” said Chairman of the WTF, Senior DIG (Retd.) M.R. Latiff, reaffirming the commitment to conduct the SLR AGM in a transparent, inclusive, free, fair and democratic manner.
This was the third unsuccessful attempt to hold SLR elections since the body was placed under a Competent Authority on May 29, 2024. The last duly elected President of SLR was forced to step down by World Rugby following a disputed inquiry process conducted by Asia Rugby, which allegedly reprimanded him without proper reasoning.
SLR was placed under the WTF to complete the election process and conduct its long-overdue AGM. However, given the latest developments, the process may stretch further, potentially until the end of November, before a duly elected administration finally takes charge of Sri Lanka Rugby.