Sponsors Outraged As No Televison Match Coverage
In an embarrassing and avoidable display of mismanagement, Police Sports Club botched their organizational responsibilities as the home team in the Sri Lanka Rugby ‘A’ Division clash against Sri Lions. The chaos culminated in a last-minute venue change to the Air Force Grounds in Ratmalana, where Police SC eventually won 28-10. However, the poor planning, blatant incompetence, and utter disregard for professionalism left a trail of frustrated players, officials, sponsors, and fans.
Unbelievable Mismanagement: A Last-Minute Circus
Barely a day before the scheduled game, Superintendent of Police and Senior Manager of Police Rugby, Ajantha Rodrigo, sent two panic-ridden letters to the Tournament Chairman of Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR), claiming that Police Park was unavailable due to a cricket match.
Instead of having a backup plan in place well in advance, Rodrigo’s letters haphazardly moved the game first to Havelock Sports Club and then, in an even more ridiculous twist, to the Air Force SC Grounds in Ratmalana at the very last minute.
As a direct result of this bungling fiasco, The Papare’s media team, which had already set up their equipment at Havelock Park, was unable to provide live coverage of the match. This infuriated sponsors and rugby fans alike, as no video footage of the game was made available.
Shemal Fernando’s “Rules” – Running Sri Lanka Rugby into the Ground
This absolute farce is yet another shining example of how Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) is being run into the ground under the so-called “competent authority” Shemal Fernando, who is also the Director General of Sports attached to the Ministry of Sports.
Instead of following SLR’s actual constitution, it seems Shemal’s Rules are now in effect. According to SLR regulations, a venue change requires at least 48 hours’ notice, a basic rule that was completely disregarded in this fiasco.
Adding to the absurdity, reports even indicate that Wimal Senanayake, a Citing Commissioner, should not even be on the Tournament Committee in his current capacity, yet there he sits, further exposing the shady, rule-bending nature of the administration.
How Did Police SC Not See This Coming?
One of the most mind-boggling aspects of this scandal is that Police SC, of all teams, should have known about the cricket match at Police Park well in advance.
How does a host team fail to check its own home ground’s availability? Did they wake up the day before and suddenly realize the field was taken? The gross negligence displayed here raises serious questions about the competency of those in charge of organizing professional rugby matches in Sri Lanka.
A Meaningless Win Amidst a Meaningful Disaster
Despite the disastrous handling of the event, Police SC defeated Sri Lions 28-10 in a game of academic interest, as both teams had already qualified for the Plate segment of the next round. However, the victory was completely overshadowed by the shameful debacle that unfolded off the field.
If this level of organizational incompetence continues, it won’t be long before Sri Lanka Rugby becomes an international laughingstock. Not that they aren’t at the moment under its current competent authority Shemal Fernando with a looming suspension or ban awaiting SLR by World Rugby.
It’s high time those clinging to power step down before they cause irreparable damage to the sport.
