Former England 7s international Ben Gollings, who was serving as the Consultant Director of Rugby Sevens at Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR), has been appointed as the next Fiji 7s coach for a period of three years. Fiji Rugby Union has confirmed the appointment which runs up to the Paris Olympic Games in 2024, where Fiji would be defending its rugby 7s gold medal. 

Ironically, Gollings’ appointment with SLR came as recently as October this year auguring positive vibes on the future of Sri Lankan Rugby. However, the latest development casts a telling blow for the game at national level. The authorities are yet to provide a clear explanation or reason on the inability to retain the services of Gollings on a long term basis or its proposed mode of operation to put in place a 7s rugby structure aimed at reaching the levels of Asia’s top notch. Passing the ball back and forth from the Ministry to SLR, a lack of coordination and a blatant failure by the authorities and the powers that be has left the progress of the 7s version at national level in limbo, once again reducing the concept of a High Performance programme to mere words. 

It is no secret that the introduction of a High Performance programme for national 7s rugby a few years back during the tenure of Asanga Seneviratne did bear fruit at least short-term wise, with Sri Lanka missing out on an Asian Games medal by a whisker. Essentially the initial funding for the programme was raised by SLR and assistance thereafter sought from the Ministry based on the project proposal. Sustaining and continuing the programme would have gained the desired results, only to see a change of regime at SLR bringing such goal to an abrupt end.    

It is time opportune for the stakeholders of the game to deliberate on this concern as a matter of priority and re-invent a High Performance structure rather than waiting for a post mortem of a failure of our national 7s sides next year in the Asian rugby circuit. 

Having said so, the rugby fraternity is quite aware that the introduction of a Ministry appointed advisory body to the game and a facilitation process thereof has enabled schools rugby to get off the ground. Further, we now see the realistic possibility of recommencing club rugby (15-a-side) in a month’s time. Interestingly, a sponsor is yet to be finalized although SLR has expressed confidence that the concern would be addressed by the first week of January 2022. 

Meanwhile, Secretary of Kandy SC Sujeewa Liyanage confirmed to the ‘Daily Mirror’ that the leading club in the country has signed up with Cargills Ceylon PLC as its platinum sponsor for the upcoming season. Inter-school rugby (15-a-side) friendly/traditional fixtures during the first part of next year are to be pursued in concurrence with school authorities.    

(Ranil Prematilake)