SLRFU Refuses To Pay Salary Of Carlton Sevens’ T.D.

By T.M.K. Samat

THE SLRFU has refused to pick up the salary bill of George Simpkin, the Tournament Director of the ongoing Carlton Sevens, The Sunday Leader understands.
A request to meet the New Zealander’s salary of nearly Rs.2.5 million was made by SLRFU Vice President Lasitha Gunaratne on behalf of the organisers’ of the Carlton Sevens, but the Executive Committee has said no.
It is understood that, in rejecting the request, Treasurer Kiran Atapattu had revealed the union’s current bank balance was a mere Rs.5, 000. “There was no way the union could’ve paid Simpkin’s salary; it just doesn’t have the funds – that apart there’s the question whether it is proper for a union to pay for a tournament run by a club that isn’t even affiliated to the union,’’ said an official on condition of anonymity.
Were the union to accede to the request of Carlton Sevens organisers, the money would have to come from Fixed Deposit withdrawals or by flogging its Treasury Bonds. “The union won’t be prepared to dip into any of their investments – it would be utterly irresponsible for a governing body to divert investments to a privately-run tournament and deprive funds for development and domestic tournaments,’’ said the official.
The Carlton Sevens is a privately organised event by MP Namal Rajapaksa’s Tharunayanta Hetak organisation. Though it is independent of the SLRFU, the event is sanctioned by the national body, which is an IRB requirement. Without SLRFU sanction, participation in the event by IRB member countries is forbidden. “Technically, the union’s involvement is in rubber-stamping approval of the event – much of the rest is the organisers’ responsibilities, from sponsorship to ground arrangements,’’ said the official.
Not that the organisers would want the arrangement to be any different – which is why a Tournament Director from far-away New Zealand was contracted to do the job. Simpkin’s main task was to lure the big guns of international rugby – and this he did very well. This year’s line up is attractive, including as it does Fiji, Samoa, New Zealand, Australia, South Africa. All of them might not be full strength national outfits, but they won’t be here on a picnic either – not with prize money of some US$ 50, 000 on the table.
That apart, the organisers will have paid all of the teams’ expenses, airfares, five-star accommodation downwards. It no doubt is an expensive undertaking, and that organisers should turn to the union to pay Simpkin’s salary suggests that the event’s budget might’ve gone bust.