Asia Rugby Announces its Emirates Match Officials Panels for 2025

Asia Rugby is proud to announce its Match Officials panels for the year 2025, showcasing the region’s commitment to excellence, development and diversity in match officiating. This announcement includes the Elite Panel, Talent Identification Panel and TMO Panel.

Asia Rugby Elite Panel – 2025

The Elite Panel includes the region’s top referees selected for their outstanding performance and expertise. The members for 2025 are:

1. Hibiki Ikeda (F)  (Japan)
2. Sunny Lee Chui (F)  (Hong Kong China)
3. Christabelle Lim (F)  (Singapore)
4. Ibuki Tetsuka (M) (Japan)
5. Qu Shanggang (M) (China)
6. Lin Wei Ming Sonny Lin (M) (Chinese Taipei)
7. Tetsuya Hirakawa (M) (Japan)
8. Leow Wei Liang (M) (Singapore)
9. Craig Chan (M) (Hong Kong China)
10. Francesco Cammisa (M) (Hong Kong China)
11. Ishanka Abeykoon (M) (Sri Lanka)
12. Top Dechdanai (M) (Thailand)
13. Aymen Jriji (M) (Saudi Arabia)
14. Morgan White (M) (Hong Kong China)
15. Ano Kuwai (M) (Japan)
16. Katsuki Furuse (M) (Japan)
17. J.P. Clement (M) (United Arab Emirates)
18. Jaco De Wit (M) (United Arab Emirates)
19. James Fairbourn (M) (United Arab Emirates)
20. Koki Yamamuchi (M) (Japan)
21. Takehito Namekawa (M) (Japan)
22. Wang Zheng Just (M) (Singapore)
23. Shane Barr (M) (Hong Kong China)
24. Matthew Rodden (M) (Hong Kong China)

Asia Rugby Talent Identification Panel – 2025

The Talent Identification Panel focuses on scouting and nurturing emerging referees across Asia. The selected members for 2025 are:

1. Mohamed Adeeb Bin Afendy (M) (Malaysia)
2. Miku Tashiro (F) (Japan)
3. Niu Yuru (F) (China)
4. Priya Baisla  (F) (India)
5. Ivy Kwong (F) (Hong Kong China)
6. Lorence Ishuga (M)  (Korea)
7. Rikito Nobuhara (M) (Japan)
8. Thomas Ngan Chun (M) (Hong Kong China)
9. Teruki Inanishi (M) (Japan)
10. Alice Chenzhuo (F) (China)
11. Raveen Alexander (M) (Sri Lanka)
12. Adeline Chew (F) (Singapore)

Asia Rugby Emirates Match Officials Camp in Dubai, UAE

Asia Rugby Emirates Match officials camp held in Dubai, UAE, to plan the year’s activity

Asia Rugby convened the Emirates Match Officials Camp—a key regional gathering aimed at streamlining referee operations and strengthening alignment across Asia Rugby’s officiating structures.

Held over two days in Dubai, the camp brought together a dynamic mix of male and female refereeing talent, technical experts, and senior administrators, reflecting Asia Rugby’s ongoing commitment to gender equity and high-performance standards in officiating.

The camp featured Asia Rugby CEO Ben Van Rooyen, alongside Chairperson of the Referee Committee Rizwan Malik, and Director of Rugby at the UAE Rugby Federation, Apollo Perelini. Senior referees Jaco De Wit and Christabell Lim (Singapore) represented the elite male and female match officials, respectively. They were joined by:

Taku Otsuki (Japan) – Head of Selection and Appointments Panel, Peter Hudson (Qatar) – Head Coach of Match Officials  , Ghaith Jalajel – Asia Rugby Tournament Consultant, Dilroy Fernando (Sri Lanka) – Match Officials Manager

 Structures, Systems, and Synergy

The opening day began with a welcome address by Asia Rugby CEO Ben Van Rooyen and Referee Committee Chair Rizwan Malik. Following housekeeping and expectations led by Dilroy Fernando, participants delved into critical updates on:

Selection processes (Taku Otsuki)
Payments and claims (Ghaith Jalajel and Affan)
2025 and beyond competitions
PR/CMO protocol improvements (Peter Hudson)

The afternoon session offered a valuable platform for match officials to raise concerns, exchange perspectives, and provide feedback on match-day experiences.

Asia Rugby TMO Panel – 2025

The Television Match Officials Panel is responsible for ensuring accurate decision-making through video technology. The members for 2025 are:

1. Tasuku Kawahara (M) (Japan)
2. Simon Dodds (M) (United Arab Emirates)
3. Taku Otsuki (M) (Japan)
4. Tony Duminy (M) (United Arab Emirates)
5. Shane Barr (M) (Hong Kong China)
6. Matthew Rodden (M) (Hong Kong China)
7. Wang Zheng Just (M) (Singapore)

Link >>> Emirates Match Officials Panels for 2025

Chairperson of the Referees Committee and Asia Rugby Vice President, Mr Rizwan Malik, added “The Asia Rugby Referees Committee, in collaboration with the Selection & Appointments Panel (SAP), has worked diligently to identify and appoint the most qualified match officials for the Asia Rugby 2025 Panel. I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all those selected and wish them the very best of luck for what promises to be an exciting and action-packed season ahead.”

Asia Rugby Match officials Manager Dilroy Fernando said, “Asia Rugby remains committed to enhancing the quality and consistency of officiating across all levels of the game. The 2025 panels reflect a diverse group of talented individuals prepared to uphold the highest standards of officiating throughout the continent.”