Asia Rugby has announced the Emirates Match Officials appointed for the rugby sevens competition at the Aichi–Nagoya 2026 Asian Games. The tournament will take place in Nagoya, Japan, from 1 to 3 October, bringing together the region’s leading men’s and women’s teams.
The officiating team includes 17 referees from across Asia, supported by assistant referees, performance reviewers and television match officials. The appointments reflect Asia Rugby’s continued investment in developing a strong regional pathway for match officials.
Preparation for the Asian Games
The appointments follow an extensive development programme ahead of the Asian Games. An online session led by Craig Joubert, World Rugby Referee Talent Development Coach, focused on consistency and maintaining high officiating standards across the region.
Asia Rugby match officials also came together in Suzhou, China, for a high-performance camp that included fitness testing, including the Bronco test, and technical work ahead of the Games. Japan’s Match Officials also joined an online workshop ahead of the competition in Nagoya.
Referees / Assistant Referees
- Hibiki Ikeda (F) — Japan
- Sunny Lee (F) — Hong Kong China
- Christabelle Lim (F) — Singapore
- Ibuki Tetsuka — Japan
- Qu Shenggang — China
- Wei Ming Lin Sonny — Chinese Taipei
- Leow Wei Liang — Singapore
- Craig Chan — Hong Kong China
- Morgan White — Hong Kong China
- Koki Yamamuchi — Japan
- Aymen Jriji — Saudi Arabia
- Dechdanai Top — Thailand
- Ishanka Abeykoon — Sri Lanka
- Joanna Bezuidenhout (F) — Qatae
- Niu Yuri (F) — China
- Thomas Ngan — Hong Kong China
- Adeline Chew (F) — Singapore
Assistant Referees appointed by JRFU
- Kantaro Kubo — Japan
- Rikito Nobuhara — Japan
- Yusaku Murata — Japan
- Meitetsu Shimizu — Japan
- Miku Tashiro — Japan
- Eri Kamimura (F) — Japan
Performance Reviewers
- Taku Otsuki — Japan
- Shane Barr — Hong Kong China
Television Match Officials
- Matthew Rodden — Hong Kong China
- Shuhei Kubo — Japan
- Just Wang — Singapore
Match Officials Management
- Referee Manager: Dilroy Fernando — Asia Rugby
- Match Officials Coordinator: Tasuku Kawahara — Japan
Asia Rugby President Qais Al Dhalai said:
“The Asian Games are a proud occasion for rugby across our continent. Our Emirates Match Officials represent the dedication and talent being developed throughout Asia, and I congratulate each of them on their selection.
“They have an important role in delivering a fair and exciting competition in Nagoya. I thank Emirates for its continued support of match officiating across Asia and wish every official, athlete and team a successful Asian Games.”
Asia Rugby Vice-President and Chair of the Referees Committee Rizwan Malik said:
“Selection for the Asian Games is a significant achievement for every match official on this team. The camps, fitness testing and workshops have provided the panel with a strong platform for the demands of this competition.
“This is an experienced and diverse group of officials from across Asia, supported by our performance reviewers and television match officials. I look forward to seeing them represent Asia Rugby with distinction in Nagoya.”
Asia Rugby Competitions Chair Asanga Seneviratne said:
“The opening day will showcase the “ Best in Asia Rugby“ competing for gold in the largest sporting event in the World that features over 11, 000 athletes. Teams have prepared extensively and a world class event will be on display watched by a capacity crowd this weekend in Nagoya. Every match will be of importance in determining the pathway to the medal rounds.”
