Sports

Rugby offers valuable lessons on empathy

Published

2 years ago

2024/04/24

Sahan Weerasooriya

Starting rugby at junior level is hugely beneficial because this sport offers valuable lessons on ‘empathy’.

By A Special Sports Correspondent

Rugby union is a sport that has blended well with the Sri Lankan sports community for over 145 years. From the days when the first international rugby match was played in a 1907 (Between Ceylon and the visiting All Blacks) the game has spread its tentacles; thanks to the untiring efforts of many dedicated rugby administrators.

When that first rugby international was played in Colombo, the All Blacks were reprimanded for playing against a nation which wasn’t affiliated with the world rugby governing body. That was when Ceylon knew that they had to enter the larger rugby world. For that purpose the Ceylon Rugby Football Union was formed in 1908.

Whenever Sri Lanka has entertained thoughts of engaging the world its performances have been great. From the time the British represented us in sport to the times when rugby’s elite from Colombo did the honours in wearing the national jersey, Sri Lanka’s rugby was taken seriously by the world rugby fraternity. But this is not the case in present times where Sri Lanka is fighting hard to earn a promotion to the Asia Rugby Championship.

Back during the good times of rugby in Sri Lanka the Annual General Meeting of Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) was held in an atmosphere of camaraderie. There was no such campaigning for votes and the next man in line for the presidency was pushed up automatically to head this sports body, governing the interest of rugby in Sri Lanka. That changed in later years and the ‘games’ played to become president of SLR became ugly as political matters are discussed and deals are struck in the island’s election scene.

Rugby too spread laterally and the game was embraced by parties, clubs and schools which couldn’t maintain the glorified standards of the sport played with the oval shaped ball. One of the unwritten laws of the game that’s often broken is players and officials being unable to shake hands and make up after a dispute.

Rugby matches are played in hostile atmospheres. The win at any cost rule is promoted akin to how ambition is embedded in the minds of A’ Level students, who strive to enter university. We’ve seen this hostility being present in school matches and that’s not a place where we should see this kind of behavior spreading its roots. For the record, Kandy has been a hotspot for rugby violence in the schools scene during the last couple years. This elbows out attitude can then be seen continuing to club rugby as well. During the past two seasons Kandy SC pulled out of the knockout tournament citing differences in the choice of venue by SLR for that stage of the domestic tournament.

Strangely rugby is introduced to schoolchildren at a young stage, but one wonders whether sportsmanship is also embedded into them. Most schools start rugby for kids at age 10 or below that. Children are naturally friendly and like to mingle with the opposing team members. But we’ve seen coaches who are under pressure channeling some that negative energies to their chargers; often the boys in one team told to be unfriendly to the other team well before the game starts. We saw this kind of behavior out in the open before the year 2022 schools’ knockout final began.

Kids must be taught to take up victory and defeat in the same spirit. Rugby is evenly spread these days in terms of setting up fixtures for teams. There were times in the good old days when lesser known schools could only dream of having a fixture against teams like Royal, Trinity, St. Thomas’ and Isipatana. Now these popular rugby playing schools are forced to accommodate games against less popular schools in their fixture list; largely to be entitled to the label ‘Division 1’ rugby playing school. This ‘label’ is given to schools by the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association; a sports organization which is run by a bunch of schoolmasters who don’t really know the length and breadth of a rugby field.

Despite all that, school rugby is cherished for all its ‘colors’ and different cultures. School rugby is a ‘stage’ where great lessons in empathy are taught. We saw last season, how a referee officiating in a school game was quick enough to hold on to a player, who was about to collapse. This incident took place when the game was to be restarted with a scrum. It was a great lesson on empathy because the players of both teams were focused on the scrum that was going to take place and if not for the referee that player would have had a nasty fall.

SLR must also conduct programmes for schools and be involved in the inter-school rugby scene. People with a rugby background and knowledge of the game must be roped into serve the game at school level. There was a time when younger school players emulated their older ‘big brothers’ who played rugby at school. Now that emulating ‘thing’ is out of fashion; because every individual wants to be the best version of himself and there are enough tools around to achieve that goal. But still, rugby’s past heroes can have an influence on the players, referees, coaches and administrators. Rugby, overall, has potential to influence a community and remind everyone that ‘no one is bigger than the game’.

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Related Topics:Children Play Rugby Starting rugby at junior level

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Sports

Wellalage thrives after being thrown into the deep end

Published

6 hours ago

2026/02/25

Sahan Weerasooriya

Dunith Wellalage.

In a campaign where Sri Lanka have been forced to reshuffle their deck more often than they would have liked, Dunith Wellalage has found himself tossed the new ball during the Power Play and the young all-rounder has swum rather than sunk.

With Matheesha Pathirana, Wanindu Hasaranga and Eshan Malinga all ruled out by injury during the 20-nation showpiece, the former champions have had to plug gaps on the run. Wellalage, who may well have been watching from the sidelines had the cupboard been full, has instead been handed a front-row seat and he has made it count.

“It was a challenge bowling during the Power Plays and the key was for me to deny the batsmen boundaries,” Wellalage told reporters on the eve of Sri Lanka’s crunch Super Eight clash against New Zealand at the R. Premadasa Stadium. “I had to be clever with my lengths and when I did that the batters had to take a few chances. I relished the new challenge.”

Called upon to operate inside the first six overs against England when field restrictions were on, a phase usually reserved for the more experienced bowlers, the left-arm spinner rolled his arm over with maturity beyond his 23 years. He finished with three wickets, varying his pace and length like a seasoned campaigner.

With seven scalps from five outings, Wellalage is Sri Lanka’s second highest wicket-taker in the tournament behind Maheesh Theekshana’s eight. Not bad for a man who began the competition as a supporting act.

But it is not just with the ball that the former Under-19 captain has been asked to come forward. Sri Lanka’s think tank has nudged him up the batting order, promoting him from his usual berth at seven or eight, a move that has drawn praise from Batting Coach Vikram Rathour.

“I usually bat at number seven or eight, but I have been told to be ready to go up at number five if the situation arises,” Wellalage explained. “My role is to get some quick runs. The coaches have been very supportive and I enjoy the challenge.”

It is a role that demands clear thinking and brave stroke-play, the art of finding gaps rather than swinging blindly for the ropes. In a side that has at times been guilty of losing wickets in clusters, Wellalage’s calm head has offered stability.

Wednesday’s contest in Colombo is a must-win for Sri Lanka, who were handed a sobering 51-run defeat by England in their Super Eight opener. Another slip and the equation becomes steep; win, and the semi-final dream remains alive.

“We have got to now win both these games,” Wellalage said. “We have played New Zealand a lot in recent years and we know that we can beat them in these conditions. We are still in with a chance to make it to the semis and winning tomorrow will be important.”

Sri Lanka’s struggles in global tournaments since lifting the T20 crown in 2014 have been well documented. They have had to navigate qualifying routes and even missed out on the 2024 Champions Trophy, the first Men’s ICC event they failed to feature in since making their World Cup debut in 1975.

Yet Wellalage believes the tide is slowly turning.

“We know how important a home World Cup is. The fans have turned up in numbers and we have always believed that we can make it to the semi-finals,” he said. “The last two games haven’t gone to our plan but we are looking forward to the must-win clash tomorrow.”

Sri Lanka boast a healthy record at the RPS, where the surface often demands application over audacity. It is not a venue for reckless slogging but for bowlers who hit their straps and batters willing to graft before they unfurl.

“We have a good record at this ground and our winning percentage here has been good. All players are looking forward to doing well tomorrow,” Wellalage added.

by Rex Clementine

Sports

Afghanistan to host Sri Lanka for white-ball series in March in the UAE

Published

6 hours ago

2026/02/25

Sahan Weerasooriya

The two teams haven't met in internationals since the Asia Cup in September last year

Afghanistan will host Sri Lanka for the first time in March for a multi-format white-ball series, with three ODIs and three T20Is to be played in the UAE from March 13 to 25.

The T20I leg of the tour will be played in Sharjah on March 13, 15 and 17. The ODI leg will be played in Dubai on March 20, 22 and 25.

The T20I series will start just five days after the T20 World Cup ends on March 8. The ODI series will end just one day before both the IPL and PSL get underway on March 26. Players from both countries – Dasun Shanaka, Rashid Khan, Kusal Perera and Noor Ahmad, among others – are in various squads across the two franchise competitions.

This will be only the second bilateral T20I series between the two teams. The first time was in February 2024.

In ODIs, this will be the fourth bilateral series between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka after previous meetings in 2022, 2023 and 2024. (Cricinfo)

Sports

Thomians collapse after second wicket stand

Published

6 hours ago

2026/02/25

Sahan Weerasooriya

Kanilka Anthony (5/66) and Dinal Fernando bowled the bulk of the overs and shared eight wickets between them as Trinity restricted S. Thomas’ to 189 runs on day one of the Ranil Abeynayake Memorial Trophy cricket encounter at the BRC ground on Tuesday.

‎Trinity are the hosts of this match which is also a Division I Tier ‘A’ tournament encounter.

‎With the Anthony-Fernando pair threatening to bundle out the visitors for a low score, number nine batsman Shanil Perera dropped anchor with an unbeaten 37 for them to post their eventual total.

‎In reply,Trinity were 54 for one wicket at close.

‎Batting first Jayden Amaraweera and Aaron Kodithuwakku put on a stand of 85 runs for the second wicket but rest of the batsmen failed to capitalize on the patiently put on base.

‎The Thomians got off to a bad start after open bat Yevan Gunathilake was out for five runs with just eight runs on the board . But there were no further wickets in the morning as the second wicket pair batted for 35 overs together.

‎Amaraweera made 50 in 115 balls and Aaron’s 72 came in 181 balls.

‎Scores:

‎S. Thomas’ 189 all out in 77.4 overs

‎(Aaron Kodituwakku 72, Jaden Amaraweera 50, Shanil Perera 37n.o.,

‎Kanika Anthony 5/66, Dinal Fernando 3/34)

‎Trinity 54 for 1 in 16 overs

(Pulisha Thilakarathne 25n.o.) (RF)