Dilroy Fernando, the former President of the Sri Lanka Association of Rugby Football Referees and now Asia Rugby’s newly appointed Match Official Manager, lost his cool when a journalist questioned him about the glaring mistakes made by his appointed officials during last week’s Bradby Shield encounter, which have since been exposed.
As a businessman involved in selling rugby sporting goods, Dilroy Fernando was banned in 2014 by then-Minister of Sports Mahindananda Aluthgamage from holding any official position in Sri Lanka due to his business dealings violating the country’s sports law. Despite this ban, Asia Rugby recently recruited Fernando as their Match Official Manager.
While he provided no support whatsoever to the recently concluded Sri Lanka Schools Rugby League Championship, Fernando was quick to take charge of the Bradby Shield, ensuring that three officials were flown in from the United Arab Emirates to referee the first leg of the 78th Bradby Shield encounter at Royal Complex Grounds last Saturday.
While many spectators commended the match officials for allowing a free-flowing game with no yellow or red cards, a closer analysis of the television footage later revealed several critical on-field mistakes that ultimately affected the final scoreline of the first leg.
When approached by a sports journalist about these errors, a rather disgruntled Dilroy Fernando virtually blew a fuse and appeared rather miffed, refusing to comment, leaving the the journalist wondering was he ashamed as to how the overseas match officials performed or what exactly is he trying to hide?
It is very ease to sit in a comfy armchair, watch the replays and some of those phases of play in slow motion and critisize. The Referee has just that fleeting moment to make the call. So give the benefit and be thankful that the game flowed. At least there were no bungling local Referee blowing and ruining the flow of play.