Two of the oldest rugby playing clubs in Sri Lanka, Havelock SC and CH and FC along with the teams of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Police have decided to rally together and recommence the sport that has been suppressed and neglected for 18 months.
The six entities will feature in an Invitation Sevens tournament at Police Park in Colombo on October 30 and 31 while exposing the failure of the sport’s governing body, Sri Lanka Rugby, to re-organise and re-commence the sport.
“It was a crying shame, nothing was happening, the players were suffering and Sri Lanka must be the only country where rugby was not played. We can no longer sit back and look for excuses. Enough is enough and so we decided to make a start somewhere and hopefully the rest will follow,” said a spokesman for the organising committee.
He said it was also a shame that Kandy SC, the best rugby club in the country could not field a team that has deprived its players at a time Sri Lanka was looking to form a national squad in preparation for the upcoming Asian Sevens and Commonwealth Games.
Kandy SC said they could not contest the event as their players did not have enough time to prepare while their sponsors withheld funds in the absence of on-field activities.
Last March, Sri Lanka Rugby abandoned the annual inter-club Sevens at the last minute for reasons best known to them leaving teams and players frustrated and kicking their heals after they prepared and practice for the occasion.
It has not objected to the upcoming Invitation club Sevens that will serve as criteria for Sri Lanka team selections.
Another club, CR and FC, will also not be represented at the Sevens and an official in the organising committee said the Red Shirts had a “genuine reason” not to field a team.