The Budget Energy SuperCupNI has welcomed young players from across the world to Northern Ireland for more than four decades.
This year, the world-renowned youth football tournament is also hosting two referees from Japan, thanks to a former Premier League official.
Mike Riley, who built strong ties with the Budget Energy SuperCupNI during his two-year tenure as the Irish FA’s Head of Refereeing, is now Referee Development Director with the Japan Football Association.
He has returned to Northern Ireland this summer with Yushi Nogiwa and Kokoro Kinoshita, along with referee manager Tojo Minoru, to help the young officials gain valuable international experience as part of this week’s match officials team.
“It’s vitally important for referees to come and experience tournaments like this, with different teams and cultures, as it really helps with their development,” explained Mike.
“Both of these referees have demonstrated real potential in Japan. They are Class 1 referees, which means they’re three steps away from officiating in the J1 League, but Japanese football is one style of football and they have ambitions to become international referees in the future.
“If you want to do that, you need to experience different styles of football. The SuperCupNI is a fantastic opportunity because you’ve got so many different types of teams and so many different challenges. In terms of accelerating their development, it is a great tournament.
“Just as it is for the players who come here, it’s the same for the referees. Yushi and Kokoro have great potential, but this will be a completely different challenge for them, which is why we’re looking forward to seeing them in action.”
Referee manager Tojo is grateful for the opportunity the two officials have been given and agreed with Mike that the experience will prove invaluable.
“We are very happy to come to the SuperCupNI and I agree with Mike that this experience will benefit our referees and help them grow,” he said.
“We hope both referees will develop through this tournament. They will gain valuable experience, both on and off the pitch, and we hope that will support their continued development.”
For Yushi and Kokoro, the opportunity to officiate in Northern Ireland is one they are relishing.
“I am looking forward to refereeing here. This is a big tournament featuring some famous clubs and I am very thankful for the opportunity,” said Kokoro, who has previously officiated at the Dallas Cup.
“Everyone has been so welcoming since we arrived. We even tried fish and chips on Saturday night, and now I can’t wait to get started,” added Yushi.
Mike hopes the experience can become a regular initiative, with Japanese referees travelling to the Budget Energy SuperCupNI each year for the benefit of everyone involved.
“If you look at developing referees, the more you meet and learn from other officials, the better you become,” he said. “We’ve spoken with Andrew (Davey) over time about creating similar opportunities for our referees in Northern Ireland. If you remember, we sent officials to Australia.
“It was a fantastic experience. The more opportunities we can create like that, the more everyone benefits. For referees from Japan, this is another excellent chance to learn and develop.
“There’s also great camaraderie among the officials, and they’ll make friendships that will last a lifetime. The guys met a number of the referees over the weekend and had a great time getting to know everyone during the Welcome Parade.
“They’ll all learn from one another and, even after the tournament ends, they’ll stay in touch, share experiences and bounce ideas off each other.
“That’s the great thing about refereeing. There is a strong bond among officials, and coming to events like the SuperCupNI only strengthens that for everyone.”
The 2026 Budget Energy SuperCupNI is proudly supported by headline partner Budget Energy, alongside a valued network of partners including Tourism NI, Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council, Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council, Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, Sterling Insurance, Creagh Concrete, Uhlsport, KLIR, IDS Accountants, Tesco, The Premier League, TrustFord, 247.TV and BuyTicketApp.
For more information on the Budget Energy SuperCupNI, visit www.supercupni.com
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For further information please contact:
AY.
Russell Lever
Mob: 07841676976
Email: russell@ay.studio
