Western Province Rugby Football Union writes to DG of Sports

Western Province Rugby Football Union President Roshan Damian Deen has written to the Director General of Sports Shermal Fernando over the reasons to boycott a meeting scheduled for 27 February.

The letter had been copied to Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage and Secretary A. H. M. U. Aruna Bandara, National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka President Suresh Subramaniam, National Sports Council President Priyantha Ekanayake and its members. Following is the full text of the letter.

With reference to the above and your letter dated 20 February 2025, please be informed that we will not be able to present ourselves at this meeting as this matter is sub-judice by virtue of the Court of Appeal Case No. CA/WRT/0438/24 and the decision therein on 5 December 2024, whereby the Provincial Unions, Stakeholders and the Competent Authority of SLR were in agreement to conduct the Annual General Meeting of Sri Lanka Rugby.

Accordingly, the Director General of Sports Mr Shermal Fernando being the Competent Authority of SLR called for the Special General Meeting of SLR dated 20 December 2024 in order to appoint the Election Committee of SLR. The Director General of Sports (Competent Authority of SLR) issued a Letter of Appointment to the Election Committee dated 21 December 2024. Subsequently the Director General of Sports issued the notice for the Annual General Meeting of SLR to be held on 21 January 2025.

As per the Constitution of Sri Lanka Rugby, the process of the Annual General Meeting commenced accordingly on 23 December 2024 by the Election Committee of SLR. However, the Director General of Sports issued a letter dated 18 January 2025, to postpone the AGM of SLR, based on the objection received by the President of Asia Rugby for the SLR Annual General Meeting dated 8 January 2025. This letter contravenes the Constitution of Sri Lanka Rugby, that any objection to be considered should be only from an affiliated member of SLR and not any third party.

This decision taken by the Director General of Sports to postpone the AGM has now proven tantamount to Contempt of Court and on 31 January 2025 by the Court of Appeal has ordered Mr Shermal Fernando Director General of Sports to appear before Court on 25 March 2025 to explain his stance.

In consideration of both the Court of Appeal Case No. CA/WRT/0438/24 and the summoning of the DG to courts on 25 March 2025, we will not be able to present ourselves at the meeting scheduled for 27 February 2025 at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, as this too would be tantamount to contempt of courts as we are not going to discuss or come to any arrangement pertaining to a matter that is already before the second Apex Court in the land. Accordingly, we confirm our refusal to attend this meeting as the matter is now under judicial review.