Prolific Sri Lankan Tuskers player and league title winning coach Radhika Hettiarachchi has been cleared for coaching by the national body after serving a six-month ban following an incident which occurred in the match involving St. Joseph’s College and Dharmaraja College last year.
The incident in question took place during the Plate encounter between St. Joseph’s College and Dharmaraja College in the 2016 Schools’ Rugby Season which ended in an ugly manner with a massive brawl breaking out.
In the aftermath of the events, the inquiry that was conducted by the Sri Lanka Schools Rugby Football Association deemed that the Dharmaraja players were at fault and thus were slapped with suspensions with their coach Radhika Hettiarachchi being banned from coaching any schools’ rugby team in the future.
Read about the full ban: Dharmaraja, Trinity & Carey banned from Rugby
The decision taken by the hearing panel was later suspended taking into consideration what is best for the sport with Dharmaraja College cleared to participate once again in top division rugby and other charges levelled against the coach lifted.
A league winning coach who molded a relatively unfancied Dharmaraja team to the league title in 2013, Radhika Hettiarachchi will look to get back into the sport as soon as he is able.
A one time sevens & fifteens captain for the Sri Lankan Tuskers, Radhika was a stand-out player for Kandy Sports Club ever since he made his debut in 1998 and later turned out for Air Force in the latter stage of his career. Prior to him hanging up his boots, the former Rajan went on to represent the Up Country Lions in the Dialog Club Rugby League.
Taking on the Dharmaraja College 1st XV team in 2013 as his first coaching task, he was able to bring them their first ever league title with the team led by Rochana Hettiarachchi remaining unbeaten on their way to the title.
Dharmaraja has had his service since 2013 before he was relieved in 2016 following the incident but Radhika believes that he can get back into the game soon to give back in terms of coaching.
“At the moment I am taking a well needed break from Rugby as my family is everything to me. I love to spend time with my daughters which I have been able to do a lot recently. We’ll see how things go on, I am looking forward to any call-ups or opportunities to get back in the Rugby arena as a coach which I think will happen soon.”
“I’ve put everything that has happened in the past to the past which is where it should be and I’m hoping for a new stint in coaching is in the cards for me now to move on” He expressed himself when asked about how things are with him and Rugby.
