Asia Rugby has revealed the panel of match officials for the 2025 Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship, a critical tournament on the road to the Men’s Rugby World Cup 2027. It kicks off on 13 June, running through till 5 July.
The 2025 comp features six test matches across Colombo (Sri Lanka), Dubai (UAE), Incheon (Korea), and Hong Kong SAR. Top regional referees and assistant referees from five Unions will oversee the matches. The six referees (pictured top left to right, then bottom left to right) selected are: JP Clement (UAE), Katsuki Furuse (Jpn), Morgan White (HKC), Takehito Namekawa (Jpn), Craig Chan (HKC) & Ibuki Tetsuka (Jpn). They will be supported by ARs & TMOs from their own Unions but also from Korea, Saudi Arabia & Thailand.
Tournament Director Ghaith Jalajel, Asia Rugby’s Competitions Manager, will oversee the event, while Referee Manager Dilroy Fernando will supervise all officiating operations during the tournament.
Rugby Asia says that its consistent investment in referee development and regional collaboration, allows the Championship to serve as both a competitive platform and a training ground for future international match officials.
Speaking following the announcement, Rizwan Malik, Chair of the Asia Rugby Referees Committee commented, “The match officials’ appointments for the Asia Rugby Emirates Men’s Championship 2025 reflect our continued commitment to excellence, neutrality, and the development of refereeing across Asia. Each official has earned their place through merit and performance, and we are confident they will uphold the integrity of the game in this crucial World Cup qualification pathway. This Championship not only showcases the best teams in Asia but also highlights the growth of our officiating talent.”
Asia Rugby Men’s Championship 2025 – Match Official Appointments
13 June – Colombo
Sri Lanka v Korea
Referee: J.P. Clement (UAE)
ARs: Jaco de Witt (UAE) & Jriji Aymen (Saudi)
TMO: Tony Duminy (UAE)
Performance Reviewer: Shane Barr
14 June – Dubai:
United Arab Emirates v Hong Kong China
Referee: Katsuki Furuse (Jpn)
ARs: Takehito Namekawa (Jpn) & Koki Yamauchi (Jpn)
TMO: Tasuku Kawahara (Jpn)
Performance Reviewer: Simon Dodd
21 June – Incheon
Korea v UAE
Referee: Morgan White (HKC)
ARs: Craig Chan (HKC) & Francesco Cammisa (HKC)
TMO: Shane Barr (HKC)
Performance Reviewer: Peter Hudson
22 June – Hong Kong China
Hong Kong China v Sri Lanka
Referee: Takehito Namekawa (Jpn)
ARs: Ibuki Tetsuka (Jpn) & Top Dechdanai (Thai)
TMO: Tasuku Kawahara (Jpn)
Performance Reviewer: Simon Dodd
4 July – Colombo
Sri Lanka v UAE
Referee: Craig Chan (HKC)
ARs: Matt Rodden (HKC) & Sunny Lee (HKC)
TMO: Simon Dodd (UAE)
Performance Reviewers: Dilroy Fernando, Dewi Rowlands
5 July – Incheon
Korea v Hong Kong China
Referee: Ibuki Tetsuka (Jpn)
ARs: Koki Yamauchi (Jpn) & Tetsuya Hirakawa (Jpn)
TMO: Tasuku Kawahara (Jpn)
Performance Reviewers: Peter Hudson, Tasuku Kawahara
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