Sandwich boys exploited by sadism at schools rugby

His declaration has become more than just an eye opener in 2026 at a time when the more school rugby progresses, the more dangers the players are exposed to 

By Callistus Davy

First came the purported attack on a rugby referee in a mafia like pursuit by a group of thugs on motorcycles.

Last Sunday allegations over eye-gorging of players surfaced and there remains no guarantee there will not be a fatal attack of a match official as school rugby continues to be haunted by violence for another season running.

The biggest fear is that schools rugby is now engulfed by a new breed of promoters calling the shots while sportsmanship has been flung out of the window with 16 or 17 year olds becoming the sandwich boys of corporate companies jumping on the bandwagon to advertise their products.

The former school head of Trinity College, Andrew Fowler-Watt was perhaps the only head of a competing school to have warned the keepers of school sport in the country to be aware of the dangers of exploiting children.

Addressing invitees and the media at the launch of the Trinity-Antonian centenary cricket encounter in Colombo in 2017, Fowler-Watt pleaded while generalising the exploitation of schoolboys in the island and where the line should be drawn.

“Please allow schoolboys to enjoy what they do and don’t force them into anything”, declared Fowler-Watt, a distinguished educator from the United Kingdom while making a general assessment of school sports.

His declaration has become more than just an eye opener in 2026 at a time when the more school rugby progresses, the more dangers the players are exposed to.

Nothing concrete is known about the hooliganism when a referee was chased by a gang of thugs on motorbikes after a school match a fortnight ago and the episode probably confined to history like the many unaddressed violent incidents of the past.

Several mothers told the Daily Mirror they are on pins to see their children on the field knowing that anything is possible.

Their contention is that with none able to take responsibility, it was time for the Education Ministry to step in and take hold of the situation, if not go back to the past when schoolboys took pride in playing for their schools and not for the vanity of old boys, the egos of highly paid coaches and the exploitation of commercial partners who show very little accountability, factors that have created a dreaded climate.

“The past was better when school rugby had a traditional friendly-match atmosphere. It was well received and produced the best players for the country. It also has a genuine place for commercial accountability”, said one parent.