Schools rugby: What will we remember?

Friday, 28 June 2013 03:38 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

With the last of schools league games being completed this week, attention now focuses on the knockout rounds for the President’s trophy. There is already a controversy brewing with Pathana allegedly refusing to take part in the knockout citing unfair treatment after the Royal game. At the end of the game Pathana led by seven points, the last of which was scored sans any opposition as the Royal team had walked off the field at that stage. After the inquiry the scores were brought back to 20 all, which Pathana and some rugby critics believe is incorrect as the scores

generally cannot be changed after the referee has blown full time. As to whether the circumstances were such that warranted a change in the score will be debated for years to come with no consensus as there are many view points. Generally the teams that take part in any tournament are bound to abide by the decision of the governing body; however there is popular belief that locally there are different strokes for different folks, resulting in an issue of credibility. Thus one can empathise with the Pathana lads for their line of thinking. Having said that, I cannot condone their acts of indiscretion during the Royal game and it is a cause for concern to note that none of the schools have taken any action against the players involved. If we do not instil discipline at this age, it might be too late once they enter the corporate world. It is worthy to note that Science took the bold and correct step after the Peterite game and as much as Science has been criticised in the past for various misdemeanours, this prompt action must be lauded. It is sad indeed that this year’s schools rugby season will be remembered not for the quality of the rugby on display, but for incidents relating to foul play, incompetence of those who controlled the game, the indifferent attitude of certain schools to discipline the players and poor crowd behaviour including abuse of the referee. As a sponsor, if one reviews the season and observes that this was the highlight of the season, we may soon not have any sponsors for this wonderful game – it’s a chilling reminder that we all need to get our act together. The inter club rugby sevens are back this weekend with the games scheduled for kick off in the cool climate of Nuwara Eliya. Given the rather adverse weather conditions, there is speculation that the games may be shifted to Colombo. Personally I cannot see rugby fans trekking it to Nuwara Eliya to watch the sevens, maybe if it was in April, the chances of a good crowd would have been a reality. For the sake of rugby I would like to be proved wrong. The British and Irish Lions tour down under continues with the second test on Saturday. The Wallabies are smarting after their narrow loss in the first test. Aussie sports in recent times have been marred by several incidents of players not adhering to the rules governing their conduct on and off the field. Despite criticism from some quarters that O’Connor should not wear the # 10 jersey, he is slated to retain the position. Despite the number of players stretchered off in the last test, the Wallabies backs seem to be intact. The Lions are having their share of injury worries and are expected to make five changes. The pivotal of which appears to be the former skipper O’Connel’s absence through injury. There is always the opportunity for the replacements to show their mettle and what better occasion that this test, which the Wallabies must win to keep their hopes alive. It all points to an exciting clash over the weekend and going by last week’s attendance of 52,499 it should be a sell-out once again at Melbourne. The Aussie commentators do have a great sense of humour and whilst the big screen indicated the attendance numbers, one of them quipped, who is the one person that failed to turn up. (The writer can be reached via [email protected].)

Schools rugby: What will we remember?

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