Why ousting Sri Lanka’s president spells bad news for rugby in the country

Saturday, 17 January 2015 04:32 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Alvin Sallay South China Morning Post: It has been a momentous last few days in Sri Lanka, what with a change in regime, the arrival of the Pope and the start of the rugby season. Bear with me while I explain what all this has to do with Hong Kong rugby. The Pope, not much – but he does come from Italian stock and was raised in Argentina, two countries who will be at the World Cup this year. Hong Kong and Sri Lanka both have great ambitions of reaching the tournament, even if they won’t be able to count on the backing of His Holiness should they do so.

If I were to bet who’ll get there first, it would be Hong Kong, as rugby in the city has a solid foundation, a superb administration and a structure which is the envy of Asia (barring Japan). Last week the island nation I call home went through a huge political shift when incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa lost his grip on power after calling for elections two years before his second tenure was up. Corruption, nepotism and cronyism were all charges thrown at the Rajapaksa family and his removal from the presidency has brought fresh hope to the nation. But he did have at least one good point – he was a rugby fan. His three sons have all represented the country – some say thanks to their father’s influence – and their presence boosted interest in the game, especially from corporate backers keen to get in the good books of the ruling family. Eldest son Namal was the force behind the Carlton Sevens which for the last couple of years has been paying huge sums of money to attract the world’s best talent – from New Zealander DJ Forbes to Fijian Pio Tuwai – for a two-week carnival of rugby. The event has boosted the game in Sri Lanka, with many of the clubs going on to hire New Zealanders, South Africans, Fijians to play in the domestic competition. But the entire organisational structure was fragile. It depended on Namal, also a member of parliament and groomed to take over from his dad. Now that Pa has been swept out of office amid stories of millions of dollars made from corrupt deals funneled to secret bank accounts in the Seychelles, there are fears that rugby will take a huge hit. Will the private sector support it now that they don’t have to pay homage to powerful political figures? Already second son Yoshitha Rajapaksa has turned in his commission from the Navy where he used to be an officer and a rugby player. And there are doubts that third son Rohitha will continue playing for the Army. Thankfully, this is not the case in Hong Kong. We may have a new chairman and new office-bearers, but the game will go on. The Hong Kong Sevens will go on no matter who is in the chair. Sadly this might not be the case in Sri Lanka where rugby is controlled by factions leading to ebb and flow, depending on who is in power. Hong Kong might have its little power struggles, but overall, the independence of the game is guaranteed. Long may that last.