by A Special Sports Correspondent

Rugby in Sri Lanka, despite producing some well-contested games, is struggling to attract crowds; especially at Havelock Park where games are played under floodlights.

Rugby can be easily rated as the second most popular sport after cricket in this little island. The rugby fraternity is now seeing four generations or more of rugby followers visiting stadiums to catch the action. Many years ago the crowds simply flocked to these grounds when the game was played by players in the likes of Michael Jayasekera, Hisham Abdeen, Chaminda Rupasinghe, Anjelo Wickremaratne, Marco de Silva, Kolitha Gunatilake, Priyantha Ekanayake, Imthie Marikar, Roger Rodrigo, Saman Kotalawela, Nizam Jamaldeen, Chandrishan Perera, Palitha Siriwardene, Lakshman Ekanayake, Norman Silva, Amjad Buksh, Sudath Sampath, Shamly Nawaz, Sithara Fernando, Len Silva, H.K. Sisira, Asanga Senewiratne, P.G Gunawardene, Nalin de Silva, Chandana Deepthi, Tony Wimalasuriya, Simon Hunter, Apisi Nagata, Tulagaese Tawita (Laga), Kiti Ratudradra, Bati Ponaia, Sajith Mallikarachchi, Fazil Marija, Radeeka Hettiarachchi, Sanjeewa Jayasinghe and Asoka Jayasena to name a few. These players were looked upon as celebrities or demi gods. (This writer’s apologies go out to readers for him not having the good fortune to be born earlier than the Abdeen era to witness the Sri Lankan greats who were at rugby before the above mentioned players; hence the omission of their names from this list). Rain or sunshine crowds were present at venues to watch their heroes at a time when playing competitive rugby was a lot simpler and players could take a ‘sip’ from the best things that life offered back then.

A positive factor about present rugby is that games are played faster, the players are stronger and can stretch the playing phases to more than ‘two’; which is how the game is played in other rugby playing nations which are rated above Sri Lanka. This writer remembers Milinda Jayasinghe (Former CH&FC scrum half) who got to play in New Zealand’s second division league rugby set-up. The moment the coach saw the player at his first practice session at the club he was welcomed with a warning “Welcome to the club, but the two hits ball out system adopted in Sri Lanka won’t work here mate. We go twenty-thirty hits before someone takes the ball over the try line and get ready for that”. Many years after Jayasinghe hung up his boots Sri Lanka rugby has come somewhere at least in terms of domestic rugby. There is plenty in rugby to ‘munch on’ and enough good players to entertain crowds. It certainly is not a colourless sport like present day badminton, table tennis, kabaddi, hockey and football. This colour is given to the sport when it has players of repute who maintain standards. In this aspect Kandy SC tops the list. When the Nittawela players travel to Colombo or venues in the Western Province we see the Kandy crowds following them. When loyalty at rugby is build it comes to stay (we are talking about spectators at least in this paragraph).

Sri Lanka Rugby’s President elect Nalin de
Silva. (Pic by Kamal Wanniarachchi)

You need the players, crowds and referees who are capable of handling knowledgeable players, who have decided to move to a semi-professional or a professional level of rugby after completing successful seasons with their schools. The referees at present look very confident on the field, but there have been occasions when they were wanting in tense situations in play during the school rugby season which concluded for the year 2023. These referees need time to settle down and mature and if this writer’s memory serves him right most of these referees (except Suranga Arunashantha) have not played any top level rugby like the referees of yonder. Many seasons ago we had referees who were also prominent national or domestic rugby players. A few good examples of referees who fell into this category were Denzil Kobbekaduwa, Daya Jayasundara, Nizam Jamaldeen, Aruna Jayasekara, Roshan Deen, Nimal Lewke and J.P.U.M. Jayawardene (Japana). Then we had an era where referees were officiating for the mere love of the game in an amateur set-up which gave no recognition or worthwhile remuneration to them. All that changed after the Sri Lanka Society of Rugby Football Referees started sending their members for training and charging professional fees for sending referees to officiating in matches.

Coming back to Havelocks Sports Club, this is a venue which has produced some unforgettable memories for rugby fans. Then matches were not played under lights, but the power of rugby that was produced was simply good enough to promise a full capacity crowd on any day of the week. Sri Lanka Rugby’s President elect Nalin de Silva (of Air Force fame) is all out to play matches at the Park Club under lights. He told media representatives at a rugby launch held for the 2023/24 league rugby tournament that he believed that crowds would come if matches are played in such an environment even on a Friday. We have a rugby president who is very technical when he talks and underscores the importance of planting trees at rugby venues; especially at Havelock Park. This is because the floodlights produce carbon emission and only trees in large numbers can erase the negative factor associated with playing games under such conditions. The rugby president has also stressed the importance of planting trees going hand in hand with playing the sport because he believes that the former can reverse the effects of climate change. De Silva has stressed that the advancing of the commencing time for domestic club rugby matches from 4.30 pm to 3.30 pm was because the light fades faster these days due to the ill effects on the environment.

Havelocks SC is a top runner in the tournament and the floodlight facility it provides for games together with the atmosphere at the ‘park’ are really what any sports promoter would ask for if he is to initiate a campaign to bring back the lost crowds. Rugby badly needs those large crowds, generous sponsors and venues that have huge trees; the latter the more the merrier!