Two of the most traditional crowd-pulling rugby playing schools Trinity College and St. Peter’s College were missing from the podium at a grand launch of the much awaited inter school League rugby season at one of the most iconic addresses in Colombo, the BMICH, that raised many a question at the end of the ceremony gracefully represented by the rest of the teams in the fray.
Trinity and St. Peter’s often bask in media pampering and efforts by the Sunday Observer to figure-out why the top two schools that attract some of the most passionate of followings could not be at the launch drew a blank.
The inter school League kicks off on June 14 at the Bogambara Stadium in Kandy where one of the favourites St. Joseph’s College will be hosted by St. Anthony’s College and the captains of both teams unlike their counterparts from Trinity and St. Peter’s proudly sported their college Colours on stage at Thursday’s ceremony that announced the re-entry of mobile phone service heavyweight Dialog as the main sponsor pumping in a massive amount running into millions.
Schools rugby has snowballed into what is easily the most invested and commercially patronized youth sport in the country that also draws the highest number of spectators even dwarfing other school sports like cricket when it comes to a tournament.
But schools rugby is also not without its share of disputes and the dreaded after-match crowd violence that is yet to be brought under control and well documented by the Sunday Observer over a period of time.
Player-robbing by the strong and influential over the less privileged and weak, under cover of scholarships has also become part of a win-at-any-cost syndrome.
Thursday’s launch of the event did not provide a platform for the media to clarify what guarantee the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association (SLSRFA) would provide at the 2023 season where at least four teams have been branded as favoutites.
All that the media heard was that the head of the SLSRFA Kamal Ariyasinghe went overboard to remark in his own style of speaking that the League was something to look forward to while at the same time showering praise on their commercial godfather.
“Today is the day of the sponsorship of the 2023 schools rugby season. It is not just a sponsorship but a future investment for schools rugby”, he said.
Isipathana College is the defending champion but there are no clear favourites in the arena with the Joes, Royal College and the Peterites also able to give hopes to their supporters.
Overall in the season as many as 38 schools have entered the fray in three segments.