World Rugby issues ultimate warning Sri Lanka to be banned

The Protagonists:

Sri Lanka Rugby has now entered a phase where it will definitely be banned come October 19 if no election of office bearers takes place and the sport’s affairs not governed under a new Constitution in keeping with World Rugby requirements.

World Rugby, which gave Sri Lanka more than a year’s grace period from time to time to sought out its affairs and internal squabbles, has given Sri Lanka the final warning in a letter addressed to the National Olympic Committee.

An election of office bearers was at last scheduled for September 9 and put off for October 8 which World Rugby has accepted as the final outcome and nothing beyond will be tolerated.

The Daily Mirror learns that even with just a week left before the election of office-bearers to Sri Lanka Rugby, yet another court case is in the pipeline that could thwart the election playing into the hands of World Rugby.

Two factions (Pavitra Fernando and Lasitha Gunaratne) are vying for control of Sri Lanka Rugby in what has become the worst scenario for rugby in the country which until two years ago was touted as the most gentlemanly of all sports associations in the country. Fernando’s team is said to have already secured the post of deputy president (Shanitha Fernando), the vice president’s post (Chintaka Perera) and the secretary’s post (Subash Jayatilleke).

Since the last elected head of Sri Lanka Rugby Rizly Illyas moved out, the administration of rugby has been in the doldrums with court case after court case preventing the formation of a new Constitution and the much needed election of office-bearers.

For nearly two years Sri Lanka Rugby in the absence of an election of office bearers was brought under what was called a government Competent Authority that was abolished and rugby administration now in the hands of what is called a Working Task Force.

Bureaucracy has also set in with the government officials also creeping in to influence the next set of office-bearers to run rugby.