Sports Minister Sunil Kumara Gamage has warned that no one will be allowed to play “games” within the sport henceforth, following the successful completion of the election of office bearers to Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) on Wednesday (8).

He further declared that they had been able to conclude eight lawsuits within a span of 12 months and successfully hold the election for SLR for the first time since 2021, appointing a new board of officials in the process. The Minister added that measures would be taken to uplift rugby from this point onwards.

Gamage made these remarks addressing a press conference held at Cinnamon Lakeside in Colombo on Thursday (9) to officially launch the final leg of the ongoing Asia Rugby Emirates Sevens Tournament from 18-19 October at the Race Course Ground. The tournament will feature 12 women’s and men’s teams.

The Minister also commended the Attorney General’s Department, including President’s Counsel Sumathi Dharmawardena, for the department’s input in overcoming the legal cases filed against SLR and its officials during the past year.

He insisted that both he and National Sports Council (NSC) Chairman Priyantha Ekanayake had become the ‘villains of the piece’ for their efforts to revive the stalled rugby administration.

The Minister further said that he had called for an action plan from newly-elected President of SLR Pavithra Fernando to analyse and implement the future administrative framework to take rugby forward in the country.

Fernando for his part thanked the Sports Minister for his hard work and commitment to clearing the legal roadblocks for the sport to return to its governance aspect after four years.

He said that if not for the timely intervention of the Sports Minister, the sport’s global body – World Rugby – would have banned Sri Lanka till late 2027.

He added that hosting the final leg of the ongoing Asian Sevens series after eight years was an honour for Sri Lanka and expressed the hope that, in future, the country could stage such events as the administrative body had become operational again.

The participating men’s teams will be from Japan, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Singapore, the UAE, Thailand, the Philippines, India, Kazakhstan, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka.

The competing women’s teams are from Japan, Hong Kong, China, Malaysia, Singapore, the UAE, Thailand, the Philippines, Uzbekistan, Chinese Taipei, South Korea, and Sri Lanka.