Meet the rugby clubs

Havelocks Sports Club is at present engrossed in solving some core problems which revolve around the players. This could be surprising news to those who have followed Havies rugby since the time they were a force to reckoned with, in domestic rugby. Havies were never short of players when the likes of Hisham Abdeen, Micheal Jayasekere, Len Silva, Angelo Wickremaratne, Shane Brohier, Kolitha Gunatileke, Chaminda Rupasinghe, Aruna Uduwelagedara, N. H. Karunasena, K. D. Nanayakkara, Kamal Mahendra, Marco de Silva and Royce Samaratunga tuned out for them. During that era, when players could commit themselves solely to wear the pink and chocolate jersey, has given way to a culture where money and professionalism rule domestic rugby. The Havies could consider themselves the worst hit club due to the ever growing professionalism in rugby which has forced players to go for the highest bidder.

The challenge the team’s coach Hisham Abdeen faces is tremendous given the fact that the club has lost many regulars to other ‘A’ Division clubs and due to the injury to exciting three quarter Wasim Thajudeen, tipped to captain the team this season. The club possibly banks heavily on the public relations skills and coaching ability of rugby legend Abdeen to turn reverse their fortunes this season.

"If you think you can, you will shine," said Abdeen who loves a challenge. He said he loved a challenge and that’s why he made a commitment to the Havies’ authorities when they approached him to coach the side this season.

It’s very interesting to watch Abdeen take his charges through a vigorous training session. He wouldn’t tell his players to do a drill which he would not have been able to do in his youth. "I set targets for the players and that challenge supersedes all challenges on the rugby field," he said.

Abdeen started training his players late and as a result he sends his charges through vigorous training schedules to fine tune them. "I expect a player to be able to play in at least two positions. My aim is to have as many utility players as I can when the seasons peaks. The players and I are working overtime, at training. I am confident that the players can take withstand these punishing workouts," said Abdeen, one time a fitness fanatic himself.

He has a reputation for producing players from scratch. Some of his charges have gone on to represent the national team. Abdeen isn’t new to the atmosphere at Havelocks Sports Club at present which calls for the coach to start from scratch. "The fitness levels and the ball handling skills of the players need to be revved up. A player can make a name for himself if he trains properly," said Abdeen.

What possibly makes the Havies vulnerable to lose its key players from time to time is possibly the lack of finances, something a few leading clubs enjoy in abundance. It’s this buying power that helps clubs like Kandy Sports Club and Ceylonese Rugby and Football Club in a big way to stay ahead of the others in the battle for supremacy. "Rugby has been commercialised and I can see players, coaches and administrators embrace this change," said Abdeen, who added that all players who make themselves available for the Havies this season would be offered a contract.

Abdeen’s presence is enormous felt at Havelocks Sports Club. He gave the Park Club so much to cherish during his heyday as a third row forward. He captained the country at both sevens and fifteen-a-side rugby and was coached by the country’s finest of rugby products of the calibre of Jeff Ratnam, Ajith Abeyratne, Anton Benedict, Dr Maiya Gunasekere, Quintin Israel, Suma Navaratnam and Gamini Fernando. "It was a pleasure to have been coached by them. I am happy that I have gained so much of knowledge due to my association with these rugby greats and am more than happy to dispense what I know to the new generation of players," said Abdeen, who recently accompanied the national team to the Hong Kong Sevens as the team’s coach.