Chris Dhambarage
The newly appointed Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) Alastair Saverimutto believes that Sri Lanka needs to have a solid base in their coaching structure if they are to make progress and move ahead in the international rugby arena. The 43-year-old former professional Wales rugby player who was born in England to Sri Lankan parents stressed the importance of a long term coaching plan to develop the more established fifteen-a-side game in the country at the grass-roots level.
“I think the coaching staff needs a change because we have predominately played too flat. They have been doing this for so many years at the highest level,” said the former England under-19 fly half who has also represented Bath, Bristol and Gloucester. Saverimutto who has been a key figure at several English football clubs including Premier League side Everton stated that Sri Lanka will need to look for a long-term coach and concentrate more on playing fifteen-a-side rugby if they are to reach the next level.
“If the Sri Lankan Rugby Union wants to take the game into the next level they have to let us get on with it. We need some continuity now. I have looked into the history and there have been a lot of changes. “When you have changes with foreigners coming over and going it will not help the cause and what we need in this country is some continuity with some long-term strategic objectives. For me everything should have some longevity to it. You just can’t go on from year to year.”
Saverimutto who was also the Chief Operating Officer of the Azerbaijani side Gabala FC noted that Sri Lanka will need to make drastic changes to their coaching structure if they are to make an impact at next years HSBC Five-a-Side ‘A’ Division Tournament. “There is lot to be done with regard to tactical and strategic play with regard to playing fifteens. I think if Sri Lanka is to achieve success in fifteen-a-side rugby then we need to start looking at the base the grass roots which is the school.
“We need to play little deeper like the French. I think we have to not take contact as fast as we do. We need to pull out from contact and come on deeper lines and hit the ball with the pace in a straighter line as well and take contact on our terms.“I think we are hitting the contact zone too soon and that is why you see the phases not going from three to four or five. This style of play may be good in some parts of Asia but that is not going to work outside of Asia. We may get away with some of the teams in the division one but definitely we are not going to get away at the top tier of rugby.”
Saverimutto who has been involved in rugby and football in both England and Wales also stressed the importance of reaching out and widen our rugby horizons through greater communications, developing new strategies and improving the standards to compete effectively and build up a Sri Lankan rugby image not just in Asia but in the other rugby playing countries.
“Back in England if you talk about Asia Sri Lanka would not even come into your mind so this is a problem and this is a weakness for Sri Lanka and we need to create a communication platform to reach out to new audiences outside of Sri Lanka as well.”The new CEO of the Rugby Union was highly impressed with the kind of standard displayed in schools rugby and with the Sri Lankan sevens rugby team which has reached new heights in the recent past.
“I think the Sri Lankan platform is excellent. I am really surprised to hear that Sri Lanka is one of the largest rugby playing nations in the World. The depth of the rugby playing is significant in this country and I have been for a couple of inter-school matches this season where the entertainment has been fantastic.
“I am not a sevens expert but the individual skill level of the Sri Lankan rugby players is no different to England. If you look at their feet and footwork the coordination and preservation they have it all and this is one of the strengths that we must harness,” added Saverimutto.
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