Thursday Oct 23, 2025
Thursday Oct 23, 2025
Tuesday, 7 October 2025 03:28 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Several provincial unions yesterday in a statement urged the World Rugby body must not be party to an illegal process and claimed that suspension threats against Sri Lanka Rugby were unjustified and politically driven. In its statement the unions said the following
No justification for suspension of Sri Lanka Rugby
The majority of Provincial Unions of Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) categorically state that there is no legitimate basis for World Rugby (WR) or Asia Rugby (AR) to suspend SLR. SLR has not violated any regulation of WR or AR, nor has it engaged in conduct warranting disciplinary action.
The ongoing crisis arises entirely from the illegal adoption of a new Constitution—facilitated and endorsed by WR, the Ministry of Sports, and the politically appointed Working Task Force (WTF)—which directly contravenes the principles of good governance and due process.
Irregular and unlawful adoption of SLR Constitution
The so-called Special General Meeting (SGM), where this Constitution was purportedly adopted, was conducted in blatant violation of established norms. At this meeting:
Political interference and breach of Olympic charter principles
The Working Task Force, led by the Ministry of Sports, has overstepped its authority by approving club registrations and nominations. Its composition includes individuals who hold dual roles within the National Olympic Committee (NOC), raising serious questions of conflict of interest.
By participating in this politically influenced process, the NOC Chief has compromised the neutrality of the NOC and undermined the credibility of its governance ethics.
Composition of Working Task Force and Election Committee
While some of these members are respected individuals, the entire appointment process lacks independence, having been made outside the constitutional framework of SLR, thereby invalidating the legitimacy of all proceedings conducted under their supervision.
Biased and non-transparent election process
The Election Committee appointed by the WTF has acted with clear bias and procedural inconsistency:
Irrational and discriminatory eligibility criteria
Irrational and discriminatory criteria have been inserted into the election framework, restricting eligibility to individuals from a narrow range of professions. These arbitrary conditions exclude capable, experienced rugby administrators and professionals from contesting or holding office in key positions, solely because they do not belong to certain professional categories.
This completely irrational restriction has no place in a democratic sporting body and represents yet another deliberate effort to manipulate representation and control the governance of the sport.
Violation of Article 28.2 and 28.6
The illegal Constitution being used for this election contains critical eligibility provisions that are being completely ignored.
Article 28.2 mandates that any council member who loses their position in their club automatically loses their seat in SLR.
Article 28.6 requires that any nominee for President must have served as an Office-Bearer or Committee Member for at least one term within the preceding five (5) years.
None of the current nominees qualify under these provisions, rendering the entire nomination process unconstitutional and unlawful.
Furthermore, it is deeply alarming that all participating clubs, Forces teams, and other stakeholders at this illegal AGM have proceeded blindly with nominations, proposing and seconding candidates without reading or understanding Article 28.6. This demonstrates not only a complete lack of awareness but also the extent of political manoeuvring and manipulation that has overtaken the process.
The Working Task Force, the Election Committee, have failed in their duty to uphold transparency and constitutional integrity, thereby making this entire process legally and ethically void.
Timeline of suspension threats and extensions
