Rugby’s obsessions and the big men who want their ‘cake’

By A Special Sports Correspondent

Rugby in Sri Lanka is slowly seeing a revival in terms of spectator interest. If one saw the increase in crowds at the last couple of deciding games of the inter-club league rugby tournament there is room to harbour hopes for the future.

Kandy SC attracted the greatest number of fans no doubt this season. And CR&FC was a close second; in terms of the power to attract viewers. All these statistics are vital from a sponsor point of view. Sponsors love crowds and for the game to have a huge fan base. The security forces and the police can vouch for the fact that there were crowds when they hosted matches at home venues. But in the past crowds at such matches were a mix of employees of the establishment plus visitors; in other words, the public. In the late 1980s and early 1990s fans went to watch Police SC in action because the law enforcement officers were represented at rugby by legends in the game; individuals who also went to represent the country at rugby. Sadly, despite some clubs like Police and Havelock SC having household names in rugby, the sport or these clubs failed to attract sponsors in their numbers like it happens in present times.

One of the biggest complaints against club rugby- many seasons ago- was that the game was slow and predictable. You see schoolboys playing fast open rugby and being nippy on the field. A few seasons later they step into the adult world of rugby. By acquiring employment these young school leavers start to enjoy food and beverages which were not on the menu at home or school. This new lifestyle makes players gain in girth. We still don’t see hundred percent solid muscle in the structure of players. But that’s beside the point. Now we see bulky players running fast and the message they give is that ‘the bigger you are, the better you are at rugby’. There is no way this is going to happen. It is disheartening to know that there are some players who maintain that they can follow new training routines aimed at raising performance, but cannot compromise on the 100 kg weight they carry at present. One player in the present set-up who went against this tide is Kandy SC’s Srinath Sooriyabandara (Soori). He lost so many kilos and revolutionized his game. “Soori” is also one of the oldest players featuring in the domestic tournament.

If you see some of the best runners in the game of rugby union they are a lot smaller. Players must work on speed and power, not necessarily getting big. But Sri Lankans-both players and spectators- are obsessed with size. There are other things in the sport of rugby that your must be obsessed with like stadiums, gyms, rehab work and infrastructure development. There was a time when Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) was boasting about the island’s player base being over 100,000, but then where was the quality in these players?

There are so many obsessions connected with rugby. At one time there was an obsession to plant oneself in Kandy and play for the Nittawela Club. Still Kandy SC is a fantastic institute to represent and be part of because it has not lost its rugby fans. But other clubs like CR&FC and CH&FC have the clout to attract new blood and influence crossovers. As players, each year, ask themselves the question ‘what’s there for me in this offer made by a club that wants me’ the focus has shifted from club loyalty to player welfare. And on a positive note, players are well looked after for their skill and commitment; rugby is semi professional at present in this country and the three forces teams and the police are also good paymasters compared to clubs like Kandy, CH, CR and Havelocks.

In the good old days, there was an obsession for players to work on individual skill. Players like Hisham Abdeen, Chandrishan Perera, Saman Jayasinghe, Tikiri Marambe, Priyantha Ekayanake and Sudath Sampath to name a few were hell-bent on starting individual training before the coach stepped on to the ground and started team sessions for everybody. Today, rugby is more team work and thanks to that the selfish player no longer exists! Rugby today is monotonous and brutal and might not necessarily produce sparks unless there is individual brilliance; like a streak of lightning. There are both the good and the bad associated with rugby in terms of the sport moving away from its old ways and embracing what’s new.

We look forward to rugby on Saturday and Sunday because there is entertainment value in the game again at domestic level. Clubs are now coming up and raising their game. Sponsors are sticking with the game and the institutes that nurture the players. This rugby set-up will be complete if we can pump some blood into the national team and make the cream of the island’s player be available for national duty.