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Marambe calls for foreign referees
By Allaam Ousman
As the 2025 Inter-Schools Rugby League prepares for kickoff on June 6, former Sri Lanka captain and national selector Tikiri Marambe has called for higher refereeing standards to ensure fairness and flow in the country’s most-watched youth sport.
Speaking after the conclusion of the President’s Trophy knockout tournament, Marambe - a former Trinity College, CR & FC, Air Force and Sri Lanka scrum-half - identified several schools showing early promise ahead of the league season.
“Trinity has really stepped up,” he said. “Coach Viraj Prasanna has brought discipline and drive, and they’re going to be serious contenders. St. Peter’s, Royal, S. Thomas’ and even Kingswood - despite their disappointing knockout performance - have squads with depth.”
He also acknowledged the potential in schools such as D.S. Senanayake and Ananda College. “They’re improving steadily and could become competitive in a season or two. You can see the structure starting to build.”
Among standout individuals, Marambe highlighted Isipathana’s No. 8 Nisaja Jayaweera and Trinity’s fullback Shan Althaf as players with national potential. “They’ve shown natural flair and strength. Definitely worth keeping an eye on.”
While praising the talent on display, Marambe emphasised the need for top-quality refereeing in the upcoming season, particularly for marquee fixtures.
“We need to lift the standard of officiating. In the past, some of our best players took up refereeing - Miles Christoffelsz, Dilroy Fernando, C.H. Seneviratne. That’s not happening today,” he remarked. “Good refereeing earns respect and lets the game flow naturally. That’s what spectators, players, and coaches want.”
He strongly backed the idea of foreign referees officiating high-stakes games such as the Bradby Shield and President’s Trophy final. “When you have 20,000 spectators and big money behind these matches - professional coaches, extensive training, player welfare - it’s only right to bring in top neutral referees to protect the integrity of the sport.”
Citing recent matches like Sri Lanka’s games against a touring foreign team from Malaysia and New Zealand, Marambe noted that games handled by overseas referees were cleaner, more professional, and free of avoidable controversy. “Even someone like Dilroy, who knows the game inside out, has raised concerns about current officiating standards. That says a lot.”
Marambe also voiced hope that this season would act as a springboard for players to graduate into national ranks. “We should be grooming players who can walk straight into the Sri Lanka side. That should be one of the key goals of school rugby.”
Reflecting on the past, he said reviving the Combined Schools team - once a prestigious platform for the best school talent to face top club or university teams - could reignite ambition and provide a meaningful stepping stone for players. “It gave young players something to strive for beyond their school. I hope we can bring that tradition back.”
With fan enthusiasm at a high, Marambe credited sponsors like Dialog and broadcasters such as ThePapare for their contribution. “There’s real buzz this year. People are excited about school rugby again. The infrastructure around the game is growing, and that’s great. Now the on-field product must match that energy.”
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