Former SLR President fires salvo over alleged criminal conduct, financial mismanagement, and lack of accountability

Rizly Illyas

Former Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) President Rizly Illyas has fired a salvo alleging criminal conduct, financial mismanagement and lack of accountability in administration of one of the popular games of the country.

A range of allegations is contained in his letter sent to 16 persons including Sports and Youth Minister Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage, Deputy Minister Sugath Thilakarathne, Secretary A.H.M.U. Aruna Bandara, officials of the National Sports Council (NSC).

Following are contents from his letter released also to the media:

I wish to bring to public attention a matter of grave concern regarding the illegal issuance of Sri Lankan passports to Fijian nationals for the purpose of representing Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) at international tournaments. This matter was initially brought to the attention of the Minister of Sports through a formal registered letter sent by me in December 2024.

Subsequently, World Rugby conducted an inquiry into this fraudulent act and found Sri Lanka Rugby guilty. A fine of £ 50,000 was imposed on SLR, which is currently being settled using funds from World Rugby that were originally intended for the development of the sport in Sri Lanka.

Despite the severity of this matter, it is with deep disappointment that I note the lack of meaningful action from both the current and previous Ministries of Sports. We had trusted that the present Government — elected with a two-thirds mandate on the promise of transparency, accountability, and justice — would act decisively on complaints such as this. However, that promise appears unfulfilled.

As recently as May 2025, at the request of the current Minister of Sports, I sent a second registered letter to the Minister, Deputy Minister, Secretary, Director General, and all members of the National Sports Council (NSC). This was in addition to several direct WhatsApp communications. Yet, to date, I have not received an acknowledgment, let alone seen any progress toward an inquiry.

It appears that there are “wheels within wheels” obstructing justice. If this matter is thoroughly investigated, it would require the involvement of the former Controller of Immigration and several SLR officials, all of whom may be liable for criminal charges under offenses that are non-bailable. This alone may explain the conspicuous silence and inaction.

It is deeply concerning to observe how the same Government that is taking strong action in other areas involving false documentation and passport fraud has failed to act in this high-profile case, despite World Rugby’s own ruling clearly confirming wrongdoing by SLR in fielding ineligible players under falsified identities.

Furthermore, I have brought to the attention of the authorities the accumulated debt of Rs. 55 million left behind by the last two SLR administrations. The Auditor General himself has cited two separate cases involving Rs. 35 million and Rs. 20 million, yet these issues too have been conveniently ignored.

Given this ongoing neglect, I am left with no option but to bring these matters to the attention of the media and the public. I urge the Hon. Minister of Sports to immediately initiate a formal inquiry into:

• The illegal issuance of passports and fielding of foreign nationals in the national rugby team.
• Financial mismanagement leading to unpaid debts amounting to Rs. 55 million.
• The failure of multiple SLR officials and Government agencies to uphold accountability.

Justice must be served. Those responsible for these serious offenses must be held accountable and permanently banned from holding any position in national sports bodies. The people of this country deserve transparent governance and ethical leadership — values that must not be compromised under any circumstance.