All signs point to one fact – it’s a calculated effort to hand CR & FC and their candidate Pavithra ‘Pavi’ Fernando an unfair edge.
Tomorrow, Tuesday the 26th of August 2025, will mark a decisive day in the chronicles of Sri Lanka Rugby. The Election Commission, appointed to oversee the long-delayed SLR elections, is expected to announce its position following the closure of nominations. While the Commission has yet to make its official ruling, backroom maneuverings continue, with nominees and clubs quietly preparing objections and counter-strategies.
Social media has already erupted with speculation, many questioning whether nominations were even filed in accordance with proper procedure. The loudest accusations claim that with the exception of CR & FC and the Sabaragamuwa Province Rugby Football Union, no other member body submitted audited accounts and meeting minutes. Others argue that even CR & FC’s documents were invalid, pointing out that the Police SC, who had seconded CR & FC’s nominee for president, was itself rejected for failing to submit audited accounts and subsequently lost its vote.
Amidst this swirl of allegations, one fact remains clear: whatever the Election Commission declares on Tuesday will ultimately stand as final.
SL Rugby Special General Meeting
There are, however, striking signs that the Commission is preparing to clear the way for the AGM scheduled on 9 September 2025. The strongest indication comes from the Special General Meeting (SGM) held on 28 July 2025, attended by the nine ‘A’ Division Clubs, the Sabaragamuwa Province Rugby Football Union, and the Sri Lanka Society of Rugby Football Referees.
At this gathering, the Chairman of the Working Task Force officially acknowledged all present as duly recognized members and stated that he had a quorum to proceed, an implicit certification that, prior to the meeting, each had submitted audited accounts, executive committee minutes, membership fees, and all other necessary documentation required to maintain good standing as a voting member, with the exception of the referees who are not permitted to vote. (See SGM minutes confirming this point below.)
Notice of AGM & Opening of Nomination Forms
On 14 August 2025, SLR Executive Director Chula Ariyaratne sent out an email with an attached document—undated—titled Sri Lanka Rugby Notice of Annual General Meeting.
As per this notice, members were required to submit:
- Form 1 – Nomination form (already completed and submitted even before the SGM by all who proposed office bearers)
- Form 2 – Details of affiliated members
- Form 3 – Details of tournaments conducted by affiliated members
- Form 4 – Details of affiliated clubs
These are set out in Schedule B of the SLR constitution.
However, under Article 14 of the SLR constitution, Full Members “A” Division Clubs are not required to submit Forms 2, 3, and 4. Those provisions apply only to provincial or associate members.
Thus, up until this point, no voting member had violated any requirement in the said notice. (See AGM notice below)
Opening of Nomination Forms
On 20 August 2025, at 3 p.m., the Election Commission convened at the Sports Council auditorium to open the nomination forms. Shockingly, it was revealed that the sealed box containing the nominations had already been opened—not by the Chairman of the EC but by the Executive Director, a direct violation of both the SLR constitution and sports regulations.
One attendee immediately raised an objection, pointing out that the nominations should have been opened on 19 August 2025, not the 20th, and that no official closing time had been specified on the 19th for submissions. Despite these violations, the meeting proceeded with the consent of voting members.
When the Chairman of the EC inquired whether all documents were in order, the Executive Director claimed that only CR & FC and the Sabaragamuwa Province RFU had submitted audited accounts and minutes. On further questioning, the ED admitted that Sabaragamuwa had not conducted SLR-sanctioned tournaments, effectively leaving CR & FC as the only compliant body.
Representatives of other ‘A’ Division Clubs strongly objected, insisting they were recognized voting members under Article 25.2 of the SLR constitution, as confirmed at the SGM on 28 July 2025, where the Election Commission itself had been voted for by them.
Speculation Fueled by the Executive Director’s Incompetence
Alarmingly, the Executive Director allocated seven votes to CR & FC, despite Article 25.2 of the SLR constitution clearly stating that an ‘A’ Division Club shall be entitled to a maximum of six votes.
This blatant overreach raised serious questions. How did CR & FC become the only “A” Division Club considered compliant when their audited accounts and minutes were submitted even though it was not required in the AGM notice?. Was this part of a deliberate ploy or an underhand tactic designed to mislead the Election Commission and manufacture an advantage for CR & FC’s candidate, Pavithra “Pavi” Fernando? Incidentally it was Pavi Fernando who himself personally submitted his nomination forms initially on the 19th August 2025 at 16:35 (6 envelopes) and then a further (3 envelopes) after office hours on the same day at 17:15,17:20 and 17:25) respectively.See SLR constitution section 25.2 below)
A Wider Network of Influence
The suspicion deepens when examining Fernando’s nomination. His proposed Deputy President is Shanitha Fernando, a sitting member of the National Sports Council. This suggests not coincidence but coordination, raising fears that the NSC itself is quietly working in cohorts with CR & FC and the ED to secure Fernando’s candidacy.
The fact that the current Minister of Sports, Sunil Kumara Gamage, appears to be turning a blind eye only heightens suspicions that the rot extends far beyond rugby’s headquarters.
Another school of thought is that this concocted plan aims to reschedule the SGM, reopen nominations, and thereby disqualify Fernando’s main rival, Lasitha Gunaratne, under Section 28.2 of the SLR constitution.
Couldn’t Organize a Brewery Tour
At its core, this fiasco reveals the complete failure of Sri Lanka Rugby’s administration. The Executive Director’s inability or unwillingness to conduct a basic Annual General Meeting and Election has made the institution a laughingstock. To borrow a common idiom, it is a textbook case of someone who “couldn’t organize a piss-up in a brewery.” Except this time, the consequences are severe: the credibility of an entire sport hangs in the balance.
The Stakes for Tuesday
As the Election Commission prepares to make its announcement tomorrow, the stakes could not be higher. Will the Commission simply rubber-stamp the chaos engineered by the Executive Director, or will it assert independence and restore credibility to Sri Lanka Rugby?
One thing is certain: if CR & FC and its ineligible candidate Pavithra ‘Pavi’ Fernando emerge as the beneficiaries of this fiasco, the stain on rugby’s governance will linger far beyond the AGM on 9 September.
Editor’s Note: Silencing the Press
Threats Against The Morning Telegraph Editor
Despite receiving threatening WhatsApp messages, The Morning Telegraph has remained steadfast in its duty as a responsible stakeholder in this cherished sport. We have exposed the decay festering within rugby’s governance and presented the truth to our readers.
Let it be clear: we will not be silenced. We assure our readers that we will follow this story to its very end.
