Provincial Rugby Unions respond to misleading claims by Working Task Force Executive Director

THE Provincial Rugby Unions have issued the following statement with reference to the article titled “SLR responds to ‘Provincial Rugby Unions condemn unlawful attempt to amend Sri Lanka Rugby Constitution” published on 5 August (https://www.ft.lk/sports/SLR-responds-to-Provincial-Rugby-Unions-condemn-unlawful-attempt-to-amend-Sri-Lanka-Rugby-Constitution/23-779903).

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The Provincial Rugby Unions of Sri Lanka categorically reject the misleading and legally flawed assertions made by the Executive Director of the so-called Working Task Force (WTF) regarding the current crisis in Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR).

1. No entity has mandate to bypass the SLR Constitution

It is unacceptable to suggest that failure to hold the Annual General Meeting (AGM) automatically grants World Rugby (WR) the right to suspend SLR indefinitely without first ensuring that all actions comply with the SLR Constitution.

Equally, neither the Sports Minister, nor the Sports Law, nor the Attorney General's (AG) Department, nor WR, nor Asia Rugby (AR) has any legal mandate to amend the SLR Constitution without following its prescribed procedures.

This is precisely why a Court-recorded settlement was reached on 5 December 2024 between the Sports Ministry, the Provincial Unions, and the AG's Department. The settlement clearly stipulated:

■The AGM must be held first.

■Only the duly elected SLR Council can call for a Special General Meeting (SGM).

■Any constitutional amendments must be approved by a two-thirds majority of stakeholders, namely the Provincial Unions.