Colombo, Feb 28, 8.45PM – Sports Minister Harin Fernando, has exercised his authority to instruct the Director General of Sports to restore voting powers to the Western Province Rugby Football Union (WPRFU) and Uva Province Rugby Football Union (UPRFU).
Director General of Sports, Professor Shemal Fernando (Rear Admiral), expressed the Minister’s perspective on keeping sports free from politics. He highlighted that government or Ministry directives sometimes carry political implications, necessitating periodic interventions.
Professor Fernando emphasized the importance of inclusivity, stating, “These are the leading clubs in the country. If we want positive changes in the sport, we need the participation of everyone, including the best teams.”
The issue traces back to 2020 when former Sri Lanka Rugby President, Lasitha Gunaratna, contested WPRFU’s voting rights at the Annual General Meeting (AGM). Gunaratna raised concerns due to the non-payment of a Rs 1,000 subscription fee by WPRFU, while other provincial unions had fulfilled their payments.
During a recent Sri Lanka Rugby Council meeting, it was revealed that some provincial unions had also not paid their subscriptions in 2020. Gunaratna, displaying goodwill, personally covered WPRFU’s outstanding fee, allowing them to vote.
In 2022, a court issued an interim order allowing SLR rugby to continue against a suspension initiated by then Minister Namal Rajapaksa. The court directed the Sports Ministry and the DG Sports to discuss the matter regarding WPRFU and Uva Province and reach a settlement, keeping the court informed. However, this did not occur, and the matter remained unaddressed.
Sources reveal that Lasitha Gunaratna, as a past president of SLR, now holds a seat in the council as the CR and FC representative, a move unprecedented among past SLR presidents. Allegations also suggest that SLR Deputy President Nalin de Silva permitted a private individual to conduct SLR-sanctioned tournaments without council approval, violating the SLR constitution and good governance.
Despite settling arrears and having the suspension lifted by court order, WPRFU and Uva Province Rugby faced obstacles under previous Sports Ministers Namal Rajapaksa and Roshan Ranasinghe. However, the current Sports Minister Harin Fernando’s policy of granting autonomy to all sports aims to keep politics at bay.
Recent developments indicate further concerns, with allegations that Deputy President Nalin de Silva and the Vice President violated the SLR constitution by accepting a banned Kandy SC team into a knockout tournament without council approval. This move has raised questions within the council and the rugby fraternity, especially considering Kandy SC’s previous withdrawal threats over venue issues. The rugby community is puzzled by the return of a banned team and questions if it is a tactic to deflect attention from their loss in the Nippon Paint League Championship.
