Rugby the king of sports in Sri Lanka

By V. Balaji

Galle

July 30: Barley a few hundred yards from the Sinhalese Sports Club is Longden Place and it provides quite a contrast. The SSC for the last two days has been playing host to some of the best cricketers the modern era has witnessed but that has hardly been enough to rake in any crowd. On the other end is Longden, a small piece of turf that hosts the local rugby league, was literally bursting at the seams for the final game for the season. Spectators throng the venue not for the star cast but for the tradition attached to it.

Rugby is a way of life in Colombo. The English settlers promoted cricket only in Colombo while they took rugby to all the tea plantation areas. So rugby ended up as the mass sport while cricket was reserved for the elite.

Contrary to popular belief, cricket is not the most widely viewed sport here. The nine teams that participate in the rugby league including the Army and Police have a huge following. Even the women and children have a team to support. And during the important games the city is on a virtual holiday. The draw is scheduled in such a way that the final match for the season is between the best sides Kandy (winners this year) and Colombo Football and Rugby Club. The contest that took place last week attracted a crowd of more than 10,000. Test match organisers will be happy if they can get in that number on all five days put together.

At a time when cricket is struggling for sponsors at all levels money is overflowing in rugby. Cricket is seen as a game high on the social ladder while rugby is followed by a cross-section of society. Families prepare special lunch and snacks and go to the ground for a rugby game and treat it as a picnic. It is a chance for them to enjoy a piece of action to which they can relate directly. The corporate world here is keen to cash in on the bonding the locals share with the game.

More companies have started pumping in money and when the organisers started looking for a title sponsor for the league there was a war to win the bid. Previously known as the Rugby League, it has now been rechristened as the Caltex League. The oil major had a tough time winning the bid.

Apart from the league the rugby 7s event attracts 25 international teams every year, Lanka have also improved to fourth position in Asia. The enormous following the game enjoys here has also brought the Asiad rugby to be hosted here shortly. Cricket could continue to be a hit on television but rugby is the king of sports in Lanka.