For once the premier inter club league rugby championship is being worked off without a commercial partner or sponsor raising questions on the pompous boast of previous sponsors who have backed out with the sport at a crucial juncture like never before.
Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) which conducts the tournament believes that by being able to run the event without a commercial partner they have proved that they have no vested interest other than promoting the sport and taking care of the welfare of the players.
“While money and investment is important for the progress of sport, it is not everything. At Sri Lanka Rugby we have upheld the spirit of the game and playing the tournament without a sponsor has proved it is well managed,” said Sri Lanka Rugby chief Rizly Illyas who has fought a relentless battle on behalf of the sport and players for nearly two years as the Covid 19 pandemic brought rugby to a standstill in a way it was never imagined.
Illyas said SLR’s marketing strategy was in place for any commercial partner to tie up with one of the most spectator-patronised domestic sports despite the setbacks.
“Our rugby was strangled and pushed back by the pandemic, but nothing has been able to kill the targets that we set out to achieve. We want rugby to be the winner,” said Illyas.
Unlike his predecessors who had it on a platter, Illyas according to analysts has had very little or no opportunities to exploit in view of the pandemic.