The Court of Appeal on Friday (July 14) issued an interim order against the Sports Minister’s gazette notification suspending the activities of Sri Lanka Rugby (SLR) and its chairman Rizly Illyas.

The interim order, issued by the Appeals Court President Nissanka Bandula Karunaratne and Justice A. Marikkar, thereby prevents the implementation of the said gazette notification.

A writ application filed by the chairman of the country’s rugby governing body was taken up before the Appeals Court bench this morning. The judges ordered the interim order to be in place until the conclusion of petition hearing.

The judge bench said it expects to deliver the verdict of the writ application within three months.

Meanwhile, the Sports Minister and other respondents named in the petition were asked to file their objections before July 25.

The next hearing of the petition was then fixed for September 06.

Meanwhile, Asia Rugby – the regional association of World Rugby – has dismissed the appeal filed by Rizly Illyas challenging the suspension of Sri Lanka Rugby.

In a statement published earlier today, the association said the panel appointed in March 2023 to address the appeal filed by the president of the suspended Sri Lankan rugby governing body was dismissed after ‘comprehensive evaluation’.

Illyas was found guilty on charges of breaching Asia Rugby’s Code of Conduct by the Asia Rugby Executive Committee based on a thorough investigation by a Judicial Officer.

He was subsequently given the opportunity to appeal, and the appointed appeal panel chaired by the President of Qazakhstan Rugby, Aigul Jartybayeva with the membership of Jeffry Chang, the President of Chinese Taipei Rugby Football Union and David Boyton, Judicial Officer from Hong Kong had dismissed the appeal.