The Sri Lanka Society of Rugby Football Referees (SLSRFR) has decided not to officiate in school matches until July 15, disrupting the ongoing Dialog Schools ‘A’ Division League Tournament, according to SLSRFR head Dinka Peiris. Peiris stated that the SLSRFR will resume officiating the school’s league tournament, excluding Science College, after July 15.“We need to get our referees back to normal mentally. Right now, they’re down. We need adequate time to recover and regear for the tournament. So, for the next two weeks, we will not officiate, but hopefully, we will be back after that. Our match officials need recovery time,” Peiris said.
Out of 130 officials, only 11 are available to officiate the ‘A’ Division League Tournament. Four of these were injured after an alleged assault by spectators following the Science College vs. S. Thomas’ match at Air Force Grounds in Ratmalana on Sunday.
Effective July 2, 2024, the SLSRFR will not officiate any school league or knockout, matches at the Air Force Grounds, Ratmalana, citing inadequate security arrangements for match officials, players, team officials, and spectators.
Additionally, the SLSRFR has decided not to officiate any games played by Science College, from Under-10 to First XV, until July 2, 2025.
Peiris also mentioned that a Science College player, wearing jersey number 13, abused match officials using offensive language. This player may be suspended for a minimum of one year from the date of inquiry, in accordance with World Rugby guidelines.
“We need more security awareness in other games as well, not only for officials but also for players and spectators. Once we resume refereeing, if spectators continue to encroach on the playing area, we will have to proceed without spectators,” Peiris added.“We are not saying no to the tournament, but we need two weeks to get back on track. We will start as usual after that, but spectators must obey the protocol. Otherwise, we will have no spectators.”
By – Daily News