Carlton 7s to make way for ‘Super Sevens’ as rugby set for return
By A Special Correspondent
COLOMBO – Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) has been tasked with formulating a ‘Super Sevens’ international rugby tournament by Sports Minister Namal Rajapaksa who gave the green light for domestic competition to resume in January, after the upsurge in COVID-19 delayed the start of the new season.
Rajapaksa, a former national rugby captain, stressed on the need to restructure the rugby set-up in the country with more focus on the shorter Sevens format to make a mark in the international arena.
Despite not having any domestic rugby for nearly eight months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the sports minister assured SLR that the sport will commence with big plans for the future.
The minister was also keen on SLR taking a scientific approach and embracing innovations in technology to measure and manage player performance. He promised to provide access to SLR on a project that he has initiated with the schools to integrate into the player database.
On a request made by SLR President Rizly Illyas, the sports minister had promised to allocate the stadium in Nawalapitiya (which has indoor facilities, swimming pool and a grounds) as a high-performance centre for the exclusive use of the National men’s and women’s teams and to be managed and run by Sri Lanka Rugby, during a discussion with SLR officials. They also discussed the importance of a high-performance squad for the National Sevens side and the under-23 high performance squad, who should be contracted directly with SLR.
In a statement, the SLR said the facility will uplift national pool players to rise to international standards.
“SLR can confidently announce that fans and players can be excited and look forward to many innovative initiatives on the future of Sri Lanka rugby,” said Illyas.
During the meeting the minister also gave the green light to start the domestic season with the Inter-Club Sevens tournament from January 2021 under health guidelines. It was decided either to play in Galle or Kandy with players and officials being quarantined for one week or home quarantined.
Rajapaksa also requested SLR to provide a comprehensive structure to create a model for a Super Sevens franchise league comprising eight teams. During the meeting the minister also stated he will make arrangements for SLR to meet up with icons of LPL (Lanka Premier League) and television networks who will come in to bid for these franchise teams, and this would be a revenue-based model to help SLR sustain itself.
Following a proposal made by SLR Tournament Committee Chairman, Nazeem Mohamad, to allow foreign players to play in all eight A Division clubs in the domestic tournament, which was the system a few years back, the minister made a positive remark on the proposal. He also requested SLR to hunt down second and third generation foreign players to be allowed to play in Sri Lanka. The minister requested SLR to look into these possibilities and provide them with this opportunity, whose expertise and experience will benefit all.
Rajapaksa questioned the below par standards of club rugby and asked SLR to create a committee to study the decline and inform him. He also shared his vision for all sports to be brought under a high-density three-province structure to increase competitiveness and growth.
Earlier, the Minister of Sports held a discussion on a podcast organized by SLR along with three captains of leading schools – Manilka Ruberu (Isipathana), Asiri Seneviratne (Kingswood) and Samuel Ogrebo (Wesley).
The minister underlined his expectation from SLR to structure themselves to deliver on the long-term plans targeting the Asian, Commonwealth and Olympic Games.
He assured them they had discussed with school authorities to convert the Under-19 to Under-20 and give last year’s players one more year. SLR is discussing the proposal with schools. Meanwhile, he has asked SLR to pursue another option of playing Under-21 and 23 tournaments.
In answer to a question, the minister said he expects more tournaments similar to the Carlton Sevens. He explained the need for franchised models as sports have to be commercialized and played by professionals.
ENCL