Leading referee for Sri Lanka-New Zealand match

By Shamseer Jaleel

Asia’s leading rugby referee Morgan White will mark another major milestone when he officiates the first match between Sri Lanka and the New Zealand Under-85kgs team on Saturday at the Racecourse ground under lights at 7 pm.

White’s refereeing journey began in 2019, quickly earning recognition and in the same year he was selected for the Development and High Performance Group in Hong Kong. He also earned a place on the Asia Rugby panel where he officiated his first Asia Rugby Sevens Series tournament.

He went on to the global stage in 2022 when he was appointed to the World Rugby Challenger Sevens Series, a key stepping stone for elite international referees under World Rugby.

In 2023, White handled his first full international Test match in the Asia Rugby Men’s Division One match between Pakistan and UAE. He also officiated at the prestigious Asian Games Sevens tournament in Hangzhou, China.

The year 2024 proved even bigger as he took charge of his first Asia Rugby Championship fixture between UAE and Malaysia. He was also selected for the World Rugby U20 Trophy and served as assistant referee in the Pacific Nations Cup in the final between Japan and Fiji.

In 2025, he officiated in the World Rugby U20 Six Nations match between Italy and Wales and Wales versus Ireland. 

His growth has continued into 2026 with appointments as Assistant Referee in the Six Nations, referee in the HSBC World SVNS Series and selection to the Asia Rugby elite panel.