SLRFU officially protest over tour selector

Jatila KARAWITA

The Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) headed by DIG Nimal Lewke has officially written to the Secretary to the Ministry of Sports S. Liyanagama, challenging the appointment of Chaminda Rupasinghe, as a tour selector of the Sri Lanka national XV for the HSBC Asian Five nations Division One Tournament in Chinese Taipei, due to conflict of interests, as the raging domestic rugby controversy took another turn yesterday.

The President of the SLRFU, DIG Nimal Lewke said that the Council has taken a unanimous decision to officially protest the choice of former Havelocks SC and S. Thomas’ lock as a tour selector, and that they have also challenged Rupasinghe being given sole authority to pick the final 15 for both Sri Lanka’s ties during the said tournament, which is to be conducted on a knock-out basis. DIG Lewke stated that in their letter to secretary the sport’s local controlling body, while challenging the appointment of Chaminda Rupasinghe, have put forward two conditions to the Sports Ministry to be met if the SLRFU is to acknowledge the presence of the ex-Havies second-rower, as a tour selector.

The SLRFU President noted that if Rupasinghe is to accompany the team as a tour selector, then he will have to resign from his post as the Vice President of Havelocks SC and that besides the tour selector, the national teams two South African coaches (Dawie Snyman and Norman Laker) and manager Colonel Sunil Ranasinghe should also be involved in the final selection of the starting XV. Meanwhile, in another alarming development among players at practices it is reliably learnt that the 12 Kandy SC players of whom nine have been chosen for the 24-member Sri Lanka tour squad have vehemently protested the retention of CR & FC number eight Dushanth Lewke as skipper for the first game to the new Chairman of rugby selection panel, Rohan Abeykoon, yesterday.

The Kandy SC players it is reliably understood had told the selection panel Chief in no uncertain terms that their original grouse was against Dushanth Lewke being appointed captain, and that him being retained even for one game was not to their liking and that if he is not removed forthwith from the captaincy that they will quit from the tour squad enbloc.

In the meantime, Minister of Sports and Public Recreation, Gamini Lokuge, when contacted stressed that he has not yet ratified the final 24-member Sri Lanka squad with two captains to Chinese Taipei. He revealed that the Secretary Ministry of Sports, has been advised to have a discussion with the SLRFU to sort out the issue of the captains. Minister Lokuge, added that in the effort to please both Colombo and Kandy SC based players, he saw nothing wrong in the appointment of two separate captains, though it has created a new precedent in the annals of Sri Lanka rugby.

The Minister said that a tour selector has been chosen to defuse any dissention among players on tour and that with the tour selector being given the power to chose the final XV for both matches, it could lessen the disunity currently prevalent among players at practices.

Minister Lokuge said that he would grant his approval to the Sri Lanka rugby squad with two captains after a discussion with his Ministry Secretary shortly.

Sri Lanka is to compete in the first-ever HSBC Asian Five Nations Division alongside, China, Singapore and host nation Chinese Taipei from November 12-15.

The Sri lanka team’s date of departure to Chinese Taipei is still not confirmed, according to a source at the SLRFU.