Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Sports withdraws suspension of Rugby governing body registration following writ petition

In a recent development, the Sri Lankan Ministry of Sports has withdrawn a gazette notification that suspended the registration of the Sports Association for Sri Lanka Rugby, the official governing body of rugby in the country. The announcement was made by Additional Solicitor General Sumathi Jayawardene, who represented the Sports Minister in court. This decision comes after Sri Lanka Rugby and its Chairman Rizly Ilyas filed a writ petition challenging the legality of the suspension and seeking its cancellation.

The petition was heard by the President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne, and Justice A. Marikkar on April 3. The Appeals Court has now ordered the petition to be recalled on April 6 to discuss future actions regarding the case.

The suspension of the Sports Association for Sri Lanka Rugby had been issued by the then Minister of Sports Namal Rajapaksa on April 1, 2022. However, it has now been withdrawn, and the matter is under review by the Appeals Court.