Asia Rugby Awards 2019 Winners

The Asia Rugby Awards 2019 were announced at the 2019 EXCO and Council meeting in Bali on 16-17 November.

The five winners are detailed below with information about the awards.

2019 WINNERS:

Asia Rugby Award for Character: The International Cooperation Section of JRFU
Asia Rugby Distinguished Service Award: Fikri Al Azhar
Asia Rugby Women’s Rugby Development Award: Karina Soerjanatamihardja
Asia Rugby “Carlson Lin” Match Officiating Award: Peter White
Asia Rugby Special Award for Achievement: Ron Rutland & James Owens

Previous Asia Rugby Awards Winners

Asia Rugby Award for Character: The International Cooperation Section of JRFU

The Award for Character honours an individual, union or group who, have shown an outstanding display of character which embodies the true values of rugby: integrity, respect, solidarity, passion and discipline.

The New Award in 2015 replaced the Asia Rugby Spirit of Rugby and Asia Rugby Development Awards.

This year winner was The International Cooperation Section of JRFU. With the platform of hosting the Rugby World Cup and the Impact Beyond RWC 2019 Programme, the JRFU International Co-operation Department Programme have managed to garner and coordinate the support and resources from various Japanese government agencies and prefectural governments across Japan to deliver on-going development and “growing the game” projects both in Japan and across Asia.

It is worthwhile to highlight that the volunteers young coaches who are placed on long term attachments in countries such India, Indonesia, Kyrgyzstan and Sri Lanka, amongst others had to learn the local dialect of the region of the country that have been appointed to.

And the real legacy of the various programmes undertaken by the International Cooperation Department is that they have been targeted to continue in the years following the World Cup to create a continuing legacy for the game in Japan and Asia.

http://en.rugby-japan.jp/

Asia Rugby Distinguished Service Award : Fikri Al Azhar

Awarded to an individual, Union or group, male or female, who has given outstanding service to their country and contributed to the International Game in as many as possible of the following areas: Playing , Coaching , Management, Training and or Administration

PLAYING EXPERIENCE

Played for Jakarta Banteng Rugby Club (since 2004)
• 7 caps for Indonesian Rugby National XVs Team (2006-2009)
• Captain for Indonesian Rugby National XVs team 2007

EVENTS

2017 Indonesian National 7s Championship Competition Manager
2018 Asian Games 2018 – Rugby Sevens Competition Manager
2019 Asia Rugby Championship D III Central East Head of Committee
2019 Asia Rugby Sevens Trophy – Mens & Womens Tournament Director

COACHING AND REFEREE

Started Coaching Jakarta Banteng Rugby Club since 2009
• Currently Coaching the Jakarta Banteng Women
• World Rugby level 1 Coaching XVs – 2017
• Started Refereeing since 2009
• World Rugby Level 1 MO – 2016
• World Rugby Level 2 MO – February 2019
• National MO Educator – 2019

ORGANISATIONS

2006- Present Persatuan Rugby Union Indonesia (PRUI)

2013 – 2014 : Vice Chairman
2014 – 2015 : Secretary General
2016 – 2017 : Head of National Referee
2017 – present : Vice Chairman IV

2009 – Present Jakarta Banteng Rugby Club

Board of Advisor
Head of Development

Asia Rugby Women’s Rugby Development Award: Karina Soerjanatamihardja

This year’s award goes to Karina Soerjanatamihardja of Indonesia who is one of the pioneers of women’s Rugby in Indonesia

Highlights of her long service to rugby and the women’s game include:

Appointed Indonesia’s Head of Women Rugby in 2018

First Indonesian World Rugby Educator and First female World Rugby Certified Refreee

Joined the All women’s WR Trainer Course in HKG in May 2019

Delivered 14 WR courses in 2019

Traveled around Indonesia to meet fellow unstoppables, share and collect stories, to plan support women in rugby Indonesia need to fulfill potential and achieve goal of having more women in rugby leadership positions ARST and ARC organizing committee

Asia Rugby “Carlson Lin” Match Officiating Award – Peter White

Peter White is a long-standing member of the Hong Kong Society of Rugby Football Union Referees; he joined in 2006 and after an initial spell as a referee, he began his coaching career, quickly establishing himself as a leading official in respect of coaching and guiding of match officials at all levels. From junior or new referees up to Test level, Peter has been a leading figure in improving the skills and mind-set of many match officials.

His insight to the game is precise, knowledgeable and has a highly engaging, pleasant character that delivers a clear message of areas for improvement.

Peter has been a key member in getting Hong Kong’s Match Officials up to the current standard, and his work with Asia Rugby with both ARC and the 7s, has been invaluable, not to mention his recent tenure as the Global Rapid Rugby Match Officials Operations Manager.

2019 Global Rapid Rugby Match Officials Operations Manager
May 2018 World Rugby Match Official Educators’ Course
2015 – 2018 Director of Laws and Referees, Hong Kong Rugby Union (HKRU)
June-July 2015 Coach of Match Officials (CMO) exchange (Valke Rugby), Johannesburg
June 2015 HKSRFUR Referees Coach of the Year
May 2015 – Accreditation as World Rugby Level 2 CMO
2015 – CMO (ARs/IGTJs) for HK7s, Hong Kong National Stadium
2015 – Accreditation as World Rugby Level 2 Match Official (MO)
2015 – Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU) CMO / Performance Reviewer (PR)
Dec 2014 Citing Commissioner (CC) for ARFU U20s Men’s Sevens Tournament, Hong Kong
Dec. 2014 CMO / PR for Dubai Invitational 7s Tournament, Dubai
2014 – CMO / PR /CC for HKRFU Premiership
Aug. 2014 World Rugby accreditation for Level 2 Officiating 15-a-side (Match Official)
Aug. 2014 CMO Exchange to North Harbour, Auckland
May 2014 CC for Asian Women’s Tournament (ARFU), Aberdeen Stadium, Hong Kong
April 2014 IRB Disciplinary Workshop, HKRFU/ARFU Disciplinary Personnel, Hong Kong
April 2014 Technical Zone Manager for IRB Junior World Rugby Trophy 2014 (U20s), HK
2012 – Vice President of the Hong Kong Society of RFU Referees (HKSRFUR)
2011 – Coaching Advisory Board (CAB) member, HKSRFUR
2010 – 2014 Tournament Controller for Hong Kong Rugby 7s, Hong Kong National Stadium
2010 Certified as International Rugby Board (iRB) Level 1 CMO
Dec. 2009 Tournament Controller for East Asian Games Rugby 7s, Hong Kong
2009 Certified as International Rugby Board (iRB) Level 2 Match Official
2009 – Member of the HKRFU Youth Committee
2009 – Elected onto the Executive Committee (ExCom) of the HKSRFUR
2007 Certified as International Rugby Board (iRB) Level 3 Touch Judge
2006 Certified as International Rugby Board (iRB) Level 1 Match Official
2006 – Member of the HKSRFUR

Asia Rugby Award for Character – Ron Rutland & James Owens

On February 2nd 2019 Ron Rutland and James Owens embarked on a remarkable quest: cycling 20,093 km across Europe and Asia – from London to Tokyo – and arriving just in time for Rugby World Cup 2019™. This extreme expedition will take them through 27 countries over 231 days.

They are doing it to raise money and awareness for ChildFund Pass It Back, the official charity of Rugby World Cup 2019™ and to promote the game of rugby.

Ron is a former rugby player and was previously employed as the Hong Kong Rugby Union’s Head of Business Development. This is not his first extreme adventure for charity, having previously cycled from Cape Town to London for the 2015 RWC and then in 2017 he joined with former Hong Kong rugby international Adam Rolston to set a world record for the longest ever hole of golf across Mongolia.

James Owens is also a former Hong Kong rugby player, who joined ChildFund Pass It Back, inspired by the program’s commitment to utilizing sport to help children and youth in disadvantaged communities build resilience and face the significant challenges associated with poverty and inequality. He is currently a Regional Operations Officer at ChildFund Pass It Back.