Asia Rugby Division 1 (& 2) 2024 2024 gets underway at the end of April in Colombo, Sri Lanka but Asia Rugby has now confusingly announced that not all the initial teams involved will be.
It will now be a combined Division 1 & 2 championship with Sri Lanka, Qatar, Kazakhstan and India involved with matches to be played at the Race Horse Course Park.
Updated 4th May 2024
Initially, Division 1 in 2024 was meant to include Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Qatar, while Division 2 was to be held in Almaty, Kazakhstan in May 2024 with the hosts, India, Iran and Thailand.
Asia Rugby has made no announcements for the reasons for the changes, what the format means for promotion and relegation between the divisions – or what now happens to Pakistan, Thailand or Iran who are omitted from the tournament in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The governing body has announced the match officials as if there were no changes to the initial tournaments and made a mockery of its principles of transparency in our opinion.
Asia Rugby 2024 Division 1 & 2 Combined Format
What has now been announced is the match schedule for this combined Div 1 & 2 knockout tournament;
- Does the winner earn promotion to the Asia Rugby Men’s Championship in 2025?
- Does the bottom team get relegated – but to what, if this is Division 2 too?
The tournament graphic for the poster only mentions Division 1 while Asia Rugby’s article calls it a combined Division 1 & 2 tournament.
Fixtures – Asia Rugby Division 1 & 2 2024
In 2023, Sri Lanka did not participate in any XV fixtures due to their suspension at the time from Asia Rugby and World Rugby which has since been lifted.
Qatar won the Division 2 title in 2023, which also included India and Kazakhstan – and the Kazakhstan men have recently held training camps in Georgia to prepare for the 2024 competition.
All matches were played at the Race Horse Course Ground in Colombo (updated results below)
- Match 1 – Qatar 31-33 Kazakhstan – April 30th, 2024
- Match 2 – Sri Lanka 45-10 India – April 30th, 2024
- 3rd Place Playoff – Qatar 34-25 India – May 4th, 2024
- Final – Kazakhstan 7-45 Sri Lanka – May 4th, 2024
World Rugby Rankings at time of tournament
- Sri Lanka – 44th
- Kazakhstan – 64th
- India – 87th
- Qatar – 94th
Final Standings – Division 1
- Sri Lanka*
- Kazakhstan
- Qatar
- India
They should be promoted to the ARMC 2025.
You can also track any changes to the Asia Rugby Calendar.
Asia Rugby 2024 Division 1 & 2 Match Officials
Photo Credit: Rugby Asia – Kazakhstan vs Uzbekistan 2023
The governing body also confirmed the selection of match officials for the tournament to be held in Colombo, Sri Lanka from 30th April -4 May 2024.
- Referee Manager – Anil Jayasinghe (Sri Lanka Rugby)
- Match 1 – Referee – Ishanka Abeykoon / Assistant Referees Raveen Alexander and Yatawara Dugganna (SLRU) / Performance Reviewer – Jason Broderick (HKCR) / Citing Commissioner – Senanayake Wimal Rohan (SLRU) /
- Match 2 – Referee – Just Wang (SLRU) / Assistant Referees – JP Clements (UAERF) and Seo lnsoo (KRU) / Performance Reviewer – David Harper (UAERF) / Citing Commissioner- Rizwan Malik (HKCR) / Judicial Officer Shahid Sangani (SLRU).
- 3rd Place – Referees Ishanka Abeykoon (SLRU) and James Fairbourne (UAERF)
- Final – Match announcement will only be made after the semi-finals in accordance with Asia Rugby’s principle of using neutral match officials for matches / Assistant Referees – Raveen Alexander and Yatawara Dugganna SLRU, JP Clements (UAERF) and Seo lnsoo (KRU) will be assigned to the games only after the teams for the finals are confirmed / Performance Reviewer, Citing Commissioner – Jason Broderick and Rizwan Malik (HKCR) / Judicial Officer – Aruna Jayasekera (SLRU)
Asia Rugby 2024 Division 1 Team Guide
Sri Lanka
Suhiru Anthony from the CR and FC club has been selected as the captain for the Sri Lanka Men in the Asia Rugby Division I Tournament 2024 with Tharinda Ratwatte of Kandy Sports Club as vice-captain. Anthony has represented the national team U20s and Sevens sides previously in addition to the XVs and will try and earn Sri Lanka a fourth Division 1 title.
The side is coached by Sanath Martis and assisted by Nilfer Ibrahim and Dushanth Lewke.
This will be the national XVs (called the Tuskers) first appearance in four years.
Image Credit: The Papare
Kazakhstan
TBC
India
The Indian men’s rugby XV are one again coached by former Springbok Naas Botha.
Photo Credit: Rugby India
Qatar
Photo Credit: Qatar Rugby
How To Watch The Asia Rugby Division 1 & 2 2024
Asia Rugby said that all 4 matches will be streamed live on its Facebook page and YouTube channel,
Asia Rugby Tournaments 2024
- Guide To The Asia Rugby 2024 International Tournaments.
- What will the men’s international rugby calendar look like in 2024?
- SEA 7s 2024 Teams & Format Announced.
- WXV 2024 Details Confirmed.
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