Sinhawansa opens Sri Lanka Rugby’s can of worms

Defends appointment as SLR Executive Director citing legitimate selection and key role with World Rugby 

Sinhawansa with New Zealand rugby legend Sir Graham Henry 

By Allaam Ousman 

As Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) struggles to regain its footing following a period of administrative paralysis, suspension by World Rugby (WR), and internal conflict, one figure at the centre of the storm is now speaking out - to set the record straight. 

Hassan Sinhawansa, former Executive Director of SLR, has broken his silence amid mounting criticism from provincial unions and social media commentary questioning his legitimacy and involvement in rugby affairs. 

In an exclusive interview, he outlines his critical yet understated role in preserving Sri Lanka’s connection with international rugby and guiding the sport through its darkest hour. 

Sinhawansa’s formal appointment to SLR came in April 2023, under then-President Rizly Ilyas. Contrary to claims that his role was politically influenced, Sinhawansa clarified that his selection followed a public call for applications, a structured interview process, and official ratification: “I was shortlisted and interviewed by Rizly Ilyas, Nalin de Silva, and Udaya Hettiarachchi. My appointment was formally approved at the SLR Executive Committee on April 3, 2023, and ratified by the SLR Council on April 10,” Sinhawansa explained. 

However, political tremors were already being felt. On 11 April 2023, Minister of Sports Roshan Ranasinghe rescinded a previous gazette issued under former Minister Namal Rajapaksa on 1 April 2022 and installed a Stabilisation Committee led by Chula Dharmadasa. On 11 April 2023 though parallel structures briefly coexisted, Sinhawansa was not invited to serve under Dharmadasa’s stabilisation committee. 

“I continued operating SLR administration to take the game forward with a six-member staff at SLR, as I was the only recognised point of contact by World Rugby,” he said. 

The situation escalated on 17 May 2023, when World Rugby suspended Sri Lanka citing political interference. According to Sinhawansa, the official WR suspension letter was addressed directly to him. “World Rugby viewed me as the legitimate point of contact as I was recognised as the Executive Director of Sri Lanka Rugby and I maintained official communication throughout,” he said. 

The governance crisis reached a turning point when World Rugby’s International Affairs officer, David Carrigy, visited Sri Lanka on July 4 and 5, 2023. Sinhawansa coordinated the entire visit - from stakeholder meetings to logistical arrangements. “I arranged and participated in every stakeholder meeting - with the Sports Ministry, NOC, referees, clubs, schools, and provincial unions. World Rugby expressed disappointment in discussions with SLR and provincial reps, but they were impressed by engagements with the Ministry, clubs, and educational bodies,” he recalled. 

The visit culminated in a two-day workshop aimed at restoring good governance in SLR through constitutional reform. However, disruptions emerged. 

Sinhawansa revealed that Kavinda Jayasena, nominated to represent the Provincial Unions, withdrew from the Constitutional Reform Group (CRG) at the last moment. To maintain representation, Lakmal Jayawardena from Galle was brought in on Day 2. 

Despite these challenges, the workshop held in Colombo at the Kingsbury hotel on the 4 and 5 December 2023 provided a roadmap. 

Meanwhile, a key court order on 14 July 2023 had already recognised the authority of the Ilyas-led SLR administration, complicating the legitimacy dispute. However, following Ilyas’ resignation, the path for governance reform was clearer. 

Sinhawansa asserts that the constitutional reform process and the CRG’s Terms of Reference were set in motion following Ilyas’ departure and remain central to ongoing restructuring efforts. 

“World Rugby was committed to working with legitimate, transparent, and functional structures. My communication with them was continuous and documented,” he added. 

Following SLR’s suspension by World Rugby on 17 May 2023 due to constitutional and governance issues, correspondence with Sinhawansa was aimed at resolving ongoing administrative concerns. 

However, the acceptance of Illyas’ continued presidency remained a contentious issue, with delays in formal recognition. Eventually, a decisive letter sent on 1 August 2023 by Stephan Smith, the Head of Legal at World Rugby, prompted Illyas to step down as President of Sri Lanka Rugby, effective 11 August 2023. His resignation marked a significant turning point in the legal proceedings that followed, according to Sinhawansa. 

Earlier, when then Sports Minister Roshan Ranasinghe had appointed a Stabilisation Committee through a gazette notification, in response, Sri Lanka Rugby filed a writ petition (Case No. 204/2023) in the Court of Appeal on 21 April 2023. With Illyas’ resignation and a legal motion filed on 11 September 2023, a settlement was reached in court on 13 September 2023, acknowledging the legitimacy of the elected Executive Committee. Subsequently, the original gazette appointing the Stabilisation Committee was rescinded on 25 September. 

In anticipation of this resolution, the Secretary to the Ministry of Sports had already written to World Rugby on 31 August 2023, requesting the lifting of the suspension. The letter highlighted that Illyas had stepped down and that the elected council, led by Deputy President Nalin de Silva - who had been duly elected at the last AGM on 27 August 2022 - would continue in office until the next Annual General Meeting. The Ministry also proposed reviewing the constitution with all relevant stakeholders, recognising the voting rights of A Division clubs, and conducting a Special General Meeting to ratify the revised constitution, followed by the AGM under the new framework by the end of March 2024. 

Despite these efforts, progress was severely undermined by the actions of the Western Province Rugby Football Union (WPRFU), which had been suspended since 2020 for non-payment of annual membership dues, along with Uva Province. According to the SLR constitution, failure to pay annual subscriptions results in the cancellation of membership. Nonetheless, Western Province engaged in legal manoeuvres that disrupted reform efforts. Although a two-day Constitutional Reform Workshop was successfully conducted, WPRFU and several other unions challenged the outcome. “The core issue was the historical misallocation of voting power to provincial unions, in contradiction to the constitutional definition of a ‘club’. This misalignment had not been addressed in the past and became the central point of contention, with provincial unions seeking to delay reforms and the AGM through legal channels,” Sinhawansa pointed out. 

These disruptions led to a virtual standstill in rugby development in Sri Lanka and further justified World Rugby’s suspension, which prevented national teams - both junior and senior - from participating in regional and international tournaments. 

Meanwhile, Kavinda Jayasena of the Central Province RFU president bypassed protocol by directly contacting World Rugby’s Ada Milby in February 2023 regarding the CRG workshop’s conclusions on voting rights. Such communication, done without SLR’s approval, contravened the rules, as Central Province is an affiliated body of SLR.

Similarly, WPRFU communicated directly with both Asia Rugby and World Rugby, referencing the Sports Law requirement for SLR to hold its AGM on or before 31 May 2024. 

However, delays arose when the final draft of the revised constitution was received from World Rugby only on 7 April 2024 - coinciding with the Sinhala and Tamil New Year holidays. As a result, the Attorney General’s Department could not grant timely approval before the legal deadline. To address this vacuum, the Minister of Sports issued a special gazette on 29 May 2024, temporarily suspending SLR once again and appointing Shemal Fernando as the Competent Authority to oversee the election process under the new constitution. 

To ensure continuity, Nalin de Silva was appointed as the official point of contact for Sri Lanka Rugby to liaise with World Rugby, Asia Rugby, and the Ministry of Sports. He was tasked with coordinating all local men’s and women’s rugby competitions and enabling national teams to participate in Asia Rugby tournaments until the AGM and the new governance structure were fully established in accordance with the reformed constitution. 

Sinhawansa, whilst denying that he had accepted the appointment made by the Latiff-headed Working Task Force, urged stakeholders and the media to evaluate the situation based on facts rather than politics or influence. 

“Much of what’s circulating on social media and certain press reports is misleading or inaccurate. My role during one of the most difficult periods in Sri Lanka Rugby’s recent history was clear, active, and necessary,” he said. 

Sinhawansa reaffirmed that his removal from the position was unlawful and in violation of both the Sports Law Gazette and a binding Court of Appeal settlement dated 13 September 2023. His appointment was duly ratified by the SLR Council and was never legally overturned through the appropriate procedure stipulated in the Sports Law. 

“My removal by Shemal Fernando on 5th February 2024 was a clear violation of the Gazette and the Court of Appeal order dated 13th September 2023, which upheld my position as Executive Director of Sri Lanka Rugby until the next Annual General Meeting. Notably, despite this dismissal, Mr. Shemal Fernando - acting as Director General of Sports and Competent Authority of Sri Lanka Rugby - formally appointed me by letter dated 27th March 2025 as the Chief Coordinator for Sponsorship and Events for three international rugby tours, including the matches against Malaysia and New Zealand Under-85kg. A significant portion of the sponsorship and promotional activities for these events was initiated and driven by me, further underscoring the contradiction and arbitrary nature of my earlier removal,” Sinhawansa pointed out.

Sinhawansa’s legitimacy was further reinforced when the Ministry of Sports and the National Olympic Committee (NOC), as Respondents 1 and 2, agreed to withdraw all pending court cases relating to SLR governance in a settlement recorded on 13 September 2023 at the Court of Appeal. These included: CA (Writ) 148/2022, CA (Writ) 481/2022, CA (Writ) 204/2023, COC/07/2023. 

This settlement clearly upheld the authority of the then-elected SLR Executive Committee and stated that the Executive Director shall continue in office until the next SLR AGM. The court further instructed the Director General of Sports to hand over the SLR office to the Executive Director, solidifying his legal standing. 

However, Sinhawansa’s subsequent removal was based on an appeal lodged by Lasitha Gunaratne on 20 October 2023 - over six months after the original appointment and well outside the one-week window stipulated in the Sports Law Gazette for challenging appointments to national sports bodies. 

Sinhawansa asserts that this was a calculated move to disrupt SLR’s governance and reverse reforms undertaken following World Rugby’s suspension of SLR in May 2023. Despite this, and the clear instructions of the court, the Ministry of Sports proceeded with his removal, an act that could be considered contempt of court and a direct violation of the sports law. 

Out of a sense of commitment to the sport, Sinhawansa stepped aside without contesting the decision in court and continued to support SLR voluntarily from outside its official framework - a move he says demonstrates his credibility and dedication to the sport.