The Sri Lanka schools rugby season is one of the most celebrated and prominent sporting passages in the local sporting calendar.
The local schools teams have taken schools rugby to an all new level pumping a considerable amount of cash in the sport to maintain a competitive edge over its participants. With the schools injecting colossal attention and funds in to the sport, it is fair to say that they deserve a controversial free season. I cannot recall a tournament which has passed without the schools season grabbing headlines of local newspapers for all the wrong reasons.
Currently the Sri Lanka schools section is run by school teachers/administrators and masters in charge are who have little or no knowledge about rugby and most importantly ‘sports administration’. The knowledge they have is very limited and confined to the basics of just organising and running a tournament. The SLSRFA officials faults have been exposed time and time again during the past seasons, however no drastic changes have been taken by the SLRFU to amend this.
Take a leaf out of the National rugby setup
The national rugby structure underwent a complete overhaul after the appointment of Asanga Seneviratne as the President of the SLRFU. The required professionalism was adopted by the Union which brought about considerable changes in performances both on and off the field.
The inclusion of a proper structure for any sport would have an immense impact on the quality of the sport. The lack of a proper structure has given schools plenty of loop-holes to exploit which has been the main cause of concern over the years. Coming up with an infallible plan is a hard task for a governing body, however adopting a more professional approach would minimize any probable shortcomings.
Running a tournament is more than just running a tournament
At the onset running a tournament looks a simple task; however there is more to it than meets the eye. Clearly that’s evident in the local schools rugby set up. The control of any tournament and league at whichever level should include a number of factors, below are just some of the points which need to be considered.
Planning, structuring and implementing – One of the main factors for any governing body of a sport is having a proper structure in place. The current administrative set up has many inadequacies and has taken up a similar arrangement year in year out with minimal success. A complete revamp in the Associations structure would be the ideal way forward. There are plenty of young and qualified individuals who are capable of taking up these roles rather than the same individuals who have been swapping chairs for the last decade or two. More qualified personnel would lead to a better structure, better finances, and better management of the sport as a whole at the grass root levels.
Player and team management – A lot of emphasis has been given on athlete and player management in the international arena and this has to be a point which the schools need to look at and adopt. More and more players were under the hammer during the last schools season reaching exhaustion just half way in to the season. Officials need to look at athlete management to ensure they give the players participating in the tournament proper rest and recovery time without just creating a format for their own convenience. Another consideration would be to accommodate ample time for studies of the players when organizing the tournament.
Financial planning – With a number of organisations investing in schools rugby, there is a considerable amount of money which needs to be managed. During most instances, the officials are left with the bare minimum due to inept management of funds.
The image of schools sports has changed tremendously from a mere sport to a dais which has a number of stakeholders involved with the game. Even though schools rugby in Sri Lanka has a prominent place in the local sporting calendar, it has further room to blossom.
Out with the ‘old school’, in with the new. Let’s take Sri Lanka rugby to where it should be.
