Nazeem Ghaffoor to head Western Province Rugby Referees’ Society
Nazeem Ghaffoor took the reign as the new President of the Western Province Rugby Referees’ Society (WPRRS) for the term of 2025/26, following its Annual General Meeting. Ghaffoor replaces outgoing President of WPRRS, Wimal Senanayake as he assumed the leadership at a pivotal period for rugby officiating in the Western Province.
A former rugby player and captain of Zahira College, Ghaffoor has been involved in rugby as a player, coach and referee. He is widely respected for his contributions to rugby administration and currently serves as a Citing Commissioner with Sri Lanka Rugby, where he plays a key role in upholding match governance, discipline, and officiating standards.
The newly appointed officials of WPRRS with its President Nazeem Ghaffoor at centre
He is supported by a strong and experienced management team committed to advancing refereeing standards as Brigadier Upali Kotuwegedara was appointed as the Vice President. A.R. Adam will function as the General Secretary while G.K. Priya Suranga will be in-charge of Referee Management. The new committee members of the WPRRS are Pradeep Fernando, R.M. Thilina, D. Rathnayake, A.D.U.S. Weerasena and Irfan Lye.
The WPRRS also paid tribute to the Immediate Past President, Wimal Senanayake, appreciating his guidance and leadership over the past two years, during which a strong organisational and developmental foundation was established for the referees’ fraternity.
During the tenure, the WPRRS has set its focus to place strong emphasis on grassroots referee development, creating structured pathways from school-level officiating to national panels. In addition referee education, performance management, welfare initiatives, and fostering unity, professionalism, and integrity within the refereeing community will be other areas that are identified to enhance.