Sri Lanka Rugby successfully inaugurates Match Commissioner Program

Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) together with its main sponsor Dialog Axiata PLC, conducted a two-day training program targeting potential rugby match commissioners. The program, ‘Introductory Course for Rugby Football Match Commissioners’ was held on 15 and 16 December at the Auditorium of Dialog Axiata with the participation of 26 individuals who had been part of the sport on and off the field at the highest level.

The two-day program, an initiative spearheaded by World Rugby Match Commissioner Ana Wijeratne, had lectures from renowned rugby personalities on different topics. The program was initiated with an opening ceremony where the chief guest was President’s Council Anuja Premaratne while SLR officials, stalwarts of game and former players and officials made their presence by endorsing Wijeratne’s initiative. 

The Secretary of SLR Thusitha Pieris declared opened the program with his welcome speech following the traditional formalities. The opening day’s topics were wholly based from the basics, despite almost all participants being former rugby players to present administrators at different levels in rugby. Ana Wijeratne made the first presentation with the ‘Introduction to Sri Lanka Rugby’ followed by the ‘Introduction to Match Commissioning’ by former school, club and Sri Lanka player and current World Rugby Match Commissioner Kavinda Jayasena. 

Jayasena, who travelled all the way from Kandy to make his presentations also made shared his knowledge on the topic of ‘Pre-match, Match and Post Match responsibilities of the Match Commissioner’ where a vast range of activities revealing behind-the-curtain activities of officials to present a neatly run match.  

Renowned TV Presenter and Lawyer Shanaka Amarasingha, also a former rugby player, made his presentation on the topic of ‘Broadcasting and Media’. Participants were made to get involved with the presenters by making use of them at activities and a question and answer session at each presentation session. 

World Rugby Medical Educator Dr. N. Sankalpana made an enlightening presentation on the topic of ‘Role of Medical Staff and Important Medical Aspects in Rugby’ where participants were keenly involved. Before the end of the first day, Ana Wijeratne and Kavinda Jayasena, both World Rugby Match Commissioners, proceeded the sessions of ‘Online Learning on Technical Zone, Laws of the Game’ followed by the topic ‘Information Management and Documentation’. The participants were made to complete online examinations on four different components of the game which could be the basic pathway for them to take up as potential rugby match commissioners. 

The second day kicked off with the topic of ‘International Tournaments and Management’ by Wijeratne, followed by an informative session from Director General of Sri Lanka Anti-Doping Agency Dr. Seevalie Jayawickrama on the topic of Anti-Doping Rules and Regulations and Coordination. Up and coming referee Akhil Jamaldeen, who is performing impressively in the ongoing Dialog Rugby League, conducted a session on the topic of ‘Introduction to Match Officiating, National and International Match Exposure’, while sharing his personal experience as a youngster in the trade of rugby refereeing.

CMO, PR of ARFU and WR, Performance Reviewer and SLR Council Member Shamrath Fernando conducted a multiple session on ‘Citing and Sanctions’, ‘Match Observation Program’ and ‘Introduction to Technical Zone’. 

Wijeratne conducted a constructive session of ‘Key Skills and Attributes’ where participants had to practically make presentations on given subjects and scenario-based decision-making skills. The two-day program came to an end in the evening after a thorough group discussion and feedback from each participant, who showed great enthusiasm than at the beginning of the first day. 

Participants were of the genuine view that they honestly had very little idea on the amount of effort and work match officials and organisers put to dish out a perfect game of rugby, prior to this program.

“The whole idea of this program was to inculcate the knowledge and technicality on how a rugby match commissioner functions. We had individuals with a good rugby background but contributing to the game through various other ways, including media personnel, who report and analyse the game sharply. By the end of the program, the response and feedback I received from the participants were not the same as they were on the opening day, it was contrastingly overwhelming. And they all told me that the learning was something they never expected, while assuring of their direct involvement to the game in the near future,” Wijeratne stated after the end of the second day. 

After the positive response from the two-day program, the SLR is planning on holding similar projects while the participants who went through the initial program will be utilized for future events, according to Wijeratne.

The participants for the two-day program were Gr. Capt. Dhammika Samarakoon, Lanka de Silva, Maj. Chamara Nanayakkara, Chalaka Siriwardena, SP Faizal Hadji, Raushan Mawsoof, Janaka Seneviratne, Ravi Laduwahetti, Wing Commander Kosala Ranasinghe, Sqdn. Leader Harshani Katugampola, Capt. Chanaka Pieris, SP A.M.A.L. Abeykoon, Supun Ranaweerasinghe, Haaziq Jaleel, Clifford Sundaram, Lt. Col. Samantha Samarasinghe, Maj (Dr.) R.P.M. Prasanga, Lalith Abeysekara, Shiraz Jaldin, Ashad Weerabangsa, Chamika Ushan, Chamara Manikgamarachchi, Maj. Asela Palihena, Dr. M.G.M.S. Zulfiq, ASP Neranjan Abeywardhane, Naushad Amit, Haris Omar and Capt. Hemantha Sirisena.