Weerakkody kicks right again

A stay order sought by Sri Lanka’s rugby playmaker Nalaka Weerakkody against the Sri Lanka Rugby Football Union (SLRFU) over his controversial ban was extended yesterday by the District Court of Colombo.

Weerakkody succeeded in challenging his ban with the stay order on September 11 and yesterday the judge of the District Court of Colombo Anura C. Ranasinghe ruled in favour of the ace kicker once again.

Weerakkody however watched the Sri Lanka team contest the recent international Sevens meet in Kandy from the spectator stands as he was not selected.

Weerakkody cited the President of the SLRFU Priyantha Ekanayake and his secretary Fazal Mohamed as defendants in his petition challenging the ban.

Weerakkody was a regular member of the Sri Lanka Sevens and 15-a-side teams for 10 years and was told by the SLRFU he was banned for six months only last month for a row with a team-mate that took place in March.

Analysts saw the controversial ban as a deliberate ploy to keep Weerakkody out from the Sri Lanka team.

His Kandy Sports Club had earlier protested to the SLFRU against the ban and the timing of the notice.