As rugby league hots up and the race for the title gathers momentum, match officials come under heavy scrutiny:
Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) has appointed retired Major General Nimal Krishnaratne to probe the post-match incident involving Police head coach Asanga Rodrigo during their ‘A’ division league rugby championship match at Police Park on February 20.
Former Police and Sri Lanka forward Hafeel Marso who is chairman of the SLR disciplinary committee had voluntarily stepped down from the inquiry as it would amount to a conflict of interest.
Rodrigo almost came close to blows with the match referee Praneeth Weranga who blew the final whistle with Police forwards engaged in a deadlock with Havelocks to score what could have been a match-winning try.
Havelocks survived the Police assault to record a 21-17 victory and maintain their unbeaten run.
Rodrigo was seen approaching Weranga menacingly after the match.
The Sri Lanka Society of Rugby Football Referees (SLSRFR) had complained to SLR which conducts the tournament alleging referee abuse by the Police coach.
“The decision of the referee is right as per the new laws. When the ball is held in the in-goal and timed out, then it’s a goal-line drop-out which is a restart. If the playing time is over, then the referee has the right to call full time,” explained SLSRFR president Dinka Peiris.
A former SLSRFR president and a veteran official Tony Amit also concurred that the referee had made the correct decision. “When the ball does not come out in the in-goal area, it is a drop-out,” he said.
Another former SLSRFR president Dilroy Fernando was more forthright pinning the blame on the Match Commissioner Mahesh Senanayake appointed by SLR for his failure to perform his role properly.
“Where was the protection for the referee? Did the referee have security? Rodrigo came within slapping distance of the referee. During the game he was shouting against the referee from the bench but no action was taken by the Match Commissioner (MC). He has to look into all these things,” said Fernando, a former World Rugby Match Commissioner.
An SLR official said even the assistant referees have the power to take action when there are untoward incidents on the bench or field of play, including against spectators who hurl abuse at the referee.
Weranga was heckled not only from the pavilion side but on the far side which is reserved for the teams and officials.
“If I was the MC, I would go and tell the coach ‘I saw you yelling. If you do it once more I will have to remove you’. Nobody can shout at the referee. When I see people shouting in internationals, I go there and I straightaway tell them,” said Fernando, who is a World Rugby Educator and Trainer for over two decades.