Former Isipathana College hooker and ex-Sri Lanka Air Force Sports Club skipper Sanjaya Fernando was elected as the new President of the Sri Lanka Society of Rugby Football Referees (SLSRFR) following a closely contested vote at the Annual General Meeting held at the Ariyana Hotel in Maharagama on Sunday.
Fernando secured a hard-fought victory over veteran A Division referee and former Vidyartha College and Kandy SC skipper Anil Jayasinghe. According to official results, Fernando polled 62 votes to Jayasinghe’s 42, reflecting strong backing from the refereeing fraternity for the former national player.
A tough and dependable hooker during his playing career, Fernando represented Isipathana College in 1986 and 1987 before joining Sri Lanka Air Force Sports Club, where he enjoyed a distinguished stint of over a decade and eventually captained the side. Renowned for his leadership qualities both on and off the field, he later served as Manager of the Sri Lanka national 15-a-side team, further strengthening his administrative credentials within the sport.
Fernando succeeds Dinka Peiris, who served as President of the SLSRFR for nearly a decade, ushering in a new chapter for the country’s refereeing body.
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He hails from a proud rugby family. Sanjaya is the younger brother of IRB-qualified referee and referee educator Dilroy Fernando, a former Isipathana College captain who led the unbeaten 1982 side after representing the school from 1979 to 1982. Dilroy later played for CR & FC until 1986 and represented Sri Lanka at the 1984 Rugby Asiad in Fukuoka City, Japan. Transitioning to refereeing in 1992, he rose to international prominence as an International Rugby Board-qualified referee, officiating in major tournaments including the Rugby Asiad, Hong Kong Sevens and Dubai Sevens.
Meanwhile, the SLSRFR also announced its office bearers for the 2026/27 term. Priyantha Gunaratne and Priya Suranga were elected as Vice Presidents, while Thilina Rathnayake will serve as Secretary and Amila Rajakaruna as Treasurer. Pradeep Fernando and Preethi Kumara were named Past Committee Members, with Romario De Silva, Rukshani Ariyasena, Denzil Darling and Nuwan Lahiru appointed as Committee Members.
With extensive experience as a player, captain and administrator, Fernando’s election signals a renewed focus on strengthening Sri Lanka’s refereeing standards as the SLSRFR looks ahead to the coming seasons.
 following a closely contested vote at the Annual General Meeting held at the Ariyana Hotel in Maharagama on Sunday.){kind=link}