Asia Rugby Announces Emirates Match Officials Panels for 2026

Asia Rugby is proud to officially unveil the Emirates Match Officials Panels for 2026, reinforcing its commitment to excellence, integrity, and the continued advancement of officiating across the continent.

The 2026 panels showcase the depth of talent within Asia, underpinned by a clearly defined pathway from Development and Talent Identification through to Elite performance, supported by specialist panels in Television Match Officiating (TMO) and Coaching and Performance Review (CMO/PR).

Spanning the full breadth of Asia Rugby’s membership, the appointments underline a strategic focus on high performance, gender equity, and long-term sustainability in officiating, supported by key partners including Emirates and A One Sportswear, the Official Apparel Partner and Match Officials Kit Supplier.

Elite Panel
Leading the Game at the Highest Level

The Asia Rugby Elite Panel features 23 of the region’s leading match officials, entrusted with officiating premier competitions across Asia, including the Asia Rugby Emirates Championships.

In a significant addition for 2026, Joanna Bezuidenhout (Qatar) (F) joins the panel, strengthening female representation alongside Hibiki Ikeda (Japan) (F), Sunny Lee (Hong Kong China ) (F), Christabelle Lim Mee (Singapore ) (F), and Ano Kuwai (Japan) (F).

The panel combines proven experience with emerging leadership, with the men’s cohort comprising Ibuki Tetsuka (Japan), Qu Shenggang (China), Wei Ming Lin (Sonny) (Chinese Taipei), Tetsuya Hirakawa (Japan), Leow Wei Liang (Singapore), Craig Chan (Hong Kong China), Francesco Cammisa (Hong Kong China), Ishanka Abeykoon (Sri Lanka), Dechdanai Wangyuen (Top) (Thailand), Aymen Jriji (Saudi Arabia), Morgan White (Hong Kong China), Katsuki Furuse (Japan), J.P. Clement (UAE), Jaco De Wit (UAE), James Fairbourn (UAE), Koki Yamamuchi (Japan), Takehito Namekawa (Japan), and Matthew Rodden (Hong Kong China).

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Talent Identification Panel
Building the Future

The Talent Identification Panel (TIP) is central to identifying and accelerating the next generation of match officials.

Representing unions across Malaysia, Japan, China, UAE, Sri Lanka, Singapore, and Hong Kong China, the panel includes Miku Tashiro (Japan ) (F), Niu Yuru (China ) (F), Ivy Kwong (Hong Kong China ) (F), Alice Chenzhuo (China ) (F), Adeline Chew (Singapore) (F), and Yuen Yee Jan Tang (Hong Kong China ) (F).

They are joined by M Ayman Adeeb Bin Afendy (Malaysia), Lorence Ishuga (UAE), Rikito Nobuhara (Japan), Thomas Ngan Chun (Hong Kong China), Teruki Inanishi (Japan), Raveen Alexander (Sri Lanka), Jack Taylor (UAE), and Yusaku Murata (Japan), forming a strong pipeline of officials progressing toward elite-level competitions.

Development Panel
Strengthening the Base

The Asia Rugby Development Panel underlines the organisation’s investment in grassroots officiating and the expansion of the game across emerging unions.

The panel features Muhammad Amirul Alrashid (Malaysia), Dollayakon Phooknoy (Thailand ) (F), Merida Gongwenwen (China ) (F), Harshal Shrimant Dolas (India), Pankajkumar Avdheshkumar Singh (India), Xueshuai Tan (China), Zahang Xin (China), Muhammad Ghalib Javed (Pakistan), Prem Bahadur Koirala (Nepal), Taha Mahmood Shihab (Iraq), Thanawat Sitthiasenarak (Thailand), and Shane O’Hehir (Singapore).

Asia Rugby TMO / AR2 panel – 2026
Supporting the Modern Game

The Asia Rugby TMO / AR2 panel continues to play a critical role in ensuring accuracy and consistency in decision-making.

The 2026 panel includes Tasuku Kawahara (Japan), Simon Dodds (UAE), Taku Otsuki (Japan), Shane Barr (Hong Kong China), Matthew Rodden (Hong Kong China), Wang Zheng Just (Singapore), Christabelle Lim Mee (Singapore ) (F), Stephen Copeman (Hong Kong China), Sam Brown (Hong Kong China), Patrick Kwok (Hong Kong China), James Perry (Singapore), and Shuhei Kubo (Japan).

Several officials continue to contribute across multiple roles within the officiating pathway, demonstrating the depth and flexibility within Asia Rugby’s high-performance system.

CMO / PR Panel
Driving Performance Excellence

The Coaches of Match Officials / Performance Review Panel is central to maintaining and elevating officiating standards across Asia.

The panel comprises Dewi Rowlands (Hong Kong China), Gabriel Lee (Hong Kong China ) (F), Shane Barr (Hong Kong China), Simon Dodd (UAE), Taku Otsuki (Japan), Dilroy Fernando (Asia Rugby), Peter Hudson (Qatar), Nizam Nazarudin (Malaysia), Bandit Panjangampatana (Thailand), Anil Jayasinghe (Sri Lanka), George Danapal (Singapore), Sufian Ahmad (Singapore), Tasuku Kawahara (Japan), Richard Benson (Hong Kong China), Jason Broderick (Hong Kong China), Shuhei Kubo (Japan), Mukesh Kumar (India), and Liu Hao (China).

Through structured mentoring, assessment, and feedback, the panel ensures alignment with international standards and continuous improvement across all officiating levels.

Selection Process and Criteria

The selection of Asia Rugby’s 2026 Match Officials Panels was based on a clear and structured set of criteria focused on merit, performance, and integrity. Candidates were nominated by their Member Unions and assessed against key benchmarks including eligibility, qualifications, match experience, fitness standards, and professional conduct.

Emphasis was placed on ensuring that officials operate within strong home union structures, demonstrate continuous development, and uphold the values and Code of Conduct of Asia Rugby and World Rugby.

Final appointments were recommended by the Asia Rugby Match Officials Selection Panel and ratified by the Referee Committee and the Asia Rugby CEO, ensuring that selections reflect the best interests of the game and support a high-quality, diverse, and performance-driven officiating pathway across all panels.

Leadership Perspectives

Qais Al Dhalai, President of Asia Rugby, said:

“The announcement of the Emirates Match Officials Panels for 2026 reflects the significant progress we are making across Asia in developing world-class officials. We have been open in recognising that there were gaps in officiating standards, particularly those identified in 2020 and 2021 through feedback from our Member Unions and team coaching staff, and we have listened carefully to those perspectives.

Over the past five years, we have worked diligently to strengthen structures, improve consistency, and elevate the overall quality of match officiating across the region. This progress reflects a clear understanding at the leadership level of the importance of high-quality officiating to the integrity and growth of the game.

These panels are a testament to that commitment to excellence, inclusivity, and the continued development of rugby in Asia. Match officials are at the heart of the sport, and their professionalism ensures the game is played and managed to the highest standards at every level.”

Rizwan Malik, Vice President and Chair of the Match Officials Committee, commented:

“The structured pathway we have established is delivering results, with strong representation across all panels and increasing diversity year on year. The Match Officials Panels for 2026 reflect our long-term vision to build a sustainable, high-performance officiating ecosystem that supports the game across all our Member Unions.”

Dilroy Fernando, Asia Rugby Referee Manager, added:

“This year’s panels demonstrate the strength and depth of officiating talent within Asia. We are particularly encouraged by the growth of our female officials and the clear pathway from development through to elite performance. Our focus remains on continuous improvement, ensuring our match officials are prepared to perform on both regional and global stages.”

A Strategic Pathway for Excellence

The 2026 Emirates Match Officials Panels demonstrate a clear and progressive pathway from Development to Talent Identification to Elite, supported by specialist TMO expertise and performance review leadership.

This integrated model ensures the continued production of world-class match officials while strengthening the foundations of the game across Asia.

Looking Ahead

As Asia Rugby enters a landmark year of competition and continued reform, the appointment of the 2026 panels marks another step forward in delivering consistent, high-performance officiating.

Asia Rugby match officials are increasingly represented on the world stage, progressing through a structured high-performance pathway aligned with World Rugby, with appointments across international test matches, global tournaments, the HSBC SVNS Series, the WXV competitions, and the Olympic Sevens pathway, reflecting the region’s growing credibility, development focus, and commitment to excellence in officiating.

With the support of Emirates as title partner, Asia Rugby remains committed to empowering match officials and upholding the highest standards across the game. This commitment is further strengthened through its partnership with A One Sportswear, the Official Apparel Partner and Match Officials Kit Supplier, ensuring that match officials across all panels are equipped with high-performance, professional apparel that reflects the prestige and standards of Asia Rugby competitions.