Parents demand removal of Royal College Rugby Head Coach

• Write to Principal Thilak Waththuhewa listing seven grievances and serious concerns
• Lament failure by management and Rugby Committee to respond to previously communicated issues
• Recommend a child psychiatrist or rugby doctor; resumption of U18 team; installation of CCTV cameras 
• Seek meeting with Principal

A group of concerned parents have written to Royal College Principal Thilak Waththuhewa demanding the removal of Rugby Head Coach Dushyantha Lewke for the betterment of the game and for greater success. 

The parents are of the first 15 teams who represented the squad for 2024, as 

well as of the immediate year. 

Having acknowledged the coaches for their enthusiasm and dedication to achieving victory in rugby encounters, the parents in their letter listed areas that are allegedly overlooked by the management, the Rugby Committee, as well as the coaches.

The parents’ decision to put their grievances in writing was as a last resort, as none of their concerns were taken up by the management and the Rugby Committee. 

“We feel that the majority in the Committee are more concerned about the wins than the welfare and health of our children. Their view sadly seems to be to ‘win at all costs’,” the parents alleged in their letter to the Royal College Principal. 

The issues listed for the Principal’s immediate action includes the following.

1. The “must win” pressure by the Head Coach and Committee must end. We are parents of these boys who do not wish to see them get hurt. Yet, throughout the season, our boys have had injuries that have required serious stitches, ultrasound scans for head injuries, back and spine injuries, and even a spleen surgery that resulted in the removal of the spleen – which you are well aware of. All these injuries happened during training sessions between the players or with “invited” teams or groups, which sometimes consist of the tri forces. The boys are asked to play HARD and push their limits, which is unacceptable and in fact, detrimental to the very game, as some of the better players were injured and unable to “win” matches due to injuries. Players who are injured are also demanded to come in for practice with hardly any rest or NONE AT ALL.

Not only is it disturbing for us parents, they are making the team weaker as a result of injuries that have not healed.

What part of the school anthem have the management and coaches not heard?...“We will learn of books and learn of men and learn to play the game”; the older boys have not learnt to be men for showing violence to the current players, while the Head Coach does not seem to know that to lose a game is part of playing the game. In fact, losing teaches the boys far more than they ever would winning. Losing makes the wins so much sweeter, like what we all experienced after the Gunaratne Trophy. LOSING is what makes our boys MEN.

In fact, the staff should MAKE THEM celebrate a loss more than a win. That is what being a man (or woman) is all about.

2. Medical insurance – the boys are not given sufficient financial assistance. The management tries its level best to keep costs at a minimum at every level. Except for one or two incidents, the parents covered almost all the costs involving injuries and diseases. Especially after the boy who sustained the spleen surgery, we hear that medical insurance is barely spent and therefore the rest needed to attend to the same is spent by the parents themselves. Rugby brings in a lot of money and prestige to the school. Please spend it back on the boys who shed their blood on this game. 

3. The boys do not have anyone to talk to. They are asked (or demanded) to be silent on ANY matter by the Head Coach. Hence, any abuse, verbal or otherwise, shortcoming, or neglect is not brought to our notice. Please provide personnel who can listen to them in private. Not personnel from school but from outside, and with absolute discretion, so that they will not be “reprimanded” by the coaches and Committee just because they spoke out. Yes, it is what’s happening now. Any “leak” of fact is treated with punishment 

by the Head Coach.

We shall set out the following 

as briefly as possible:

4. Unnecessary strenuous training is evident. They are tired pre-match; we are told that they are made to work out and train excessively before a scheduled match. All the boys have lost weight, even the forwards for whom weight is an advantage; the quality of food provided also factors in together with excessive training.

5. Meals provided are not up to standard. We have even approached the management to source better meal plans but were turned down. Boys have complained about the quality to us. While we supplement their food when at home, we cannot do this when they are at camp and/or at full day training. The whole team should have quality meals, hence asking the parents to supply their own food will not be the answer. The solution 

is to source better.

6. Overnight camps have become an absurdity. We understand the need in some instances but the frequency is uncalled for. Please approach this area with caution because there are boys whose parents cannot provide a comfortable bed or travel from a distance, hence a good night’s rest for them before a match at the complex is better than otherwise.

7. We are very welcoming of the rules set out for the boys’ welfare, but again it has been overstretched to an absurd level. The boys are absolutely petrified to even go out with us parents for events or dinners or for any entertainment because they have been banned from doing so. If we do force our kids, they basically shiver in public, fearing punishment if seen or noted. How is it a crime to socialise with their own parents and family? Again, yes, a night out before a match is not accepted, but in other instances?

8. The frequency of tournaments is unacceptable. It disrupts too much of school time. Royal College must select one or two for a year which are important or convenient in view of the school academic curriculum. While the season takes precedence and training should happen daily with sufficient rest for the players, other tournaments should be trained for only after morning lessons are over and can easily be balanced.

We have more than 8,000 children in school and to find 40 students to play rugby is not difficult at all. We hear he is already searching for boys from other schools to bring to Royal after the 0 Level results are announced. Then what happens to the boys who have been playing Rugby from Under-10 onwards? They will not get an opportunity to represent the First 15 as he will bring players from outside. Lewke is paid to coach and it is his duty to train our boys to play by correcting their faults. In our opinion, he has to leave from coaching Royal Rugby.

We suggest that CCTV cameras are installed towards the rooms where the boys are kept. We also recommend getting a child psychiatrist. It is recommended to get the Rugby doctor-in-charge to give a report on the players’ injuries to the Principal and Senior Games Master as and when requested.

We also request to have the Under-18 team back so that it will help the boys to continue playing without a break. The coaches should be given a term of reference of the dos and don’ts of what the coach’s responsibilities are.