IRB Appoints Rugby Services Manager for Asia
To continue and grow the development for the Game in Asia, the International Rugby Board has announced the appointment of a Rugby Services Manager for that region, with the important role of overseeing the development of Rugby in conjunction with the Asian Rugby Football Union (ARFU) and its various member Unions. Asia has been identified as a major potential growth area for the Game.
Ridzal Saat has amassed more than 20 years’ experience developing and promoting sport in Asia. He joins the IRB from the Football Association of Singapore where he held a number of senior positions and has previously worked at the Singapore Rugby Union. Among his responsibilities at the FAS was to work closely with government agencies and the National Olympic Committee across a range of important initiatives.
IRB Head of Development and International Relations David Carrigy said: “This is an important appointment for the IRB and, in particular, for Rugby in Asia. Ridzal brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge of sport in Asia and he has the right skillset to continue the good groundwork achieved in what is strategically a very important region for us.”
“Rugby is growing rapidly in Asia and it still has a huge amount of potential for further development. With Rugby World Cup 2019 coming up in Japan and the Olympic Games 2020 in Tokyo also on the horizon, the coming years will be extremely important as we look to manage and make the most of that continuing growth.”
During his Rugby playing days, Saat represented Singapore at international level from 1993-2001. He will commence his new position at the IRB in August 2014.