Archie Sehlako of the KwaZulu-Natal Referees' Society has been appointed to referee at the prestigious Sanix World Rugby Youth Invitational Tournament in Japan.

At this, the 11th tournament of its kind which is now an annual event, 20 school teams will be taking part - including Hoërskool Marais Viljoen of Alberton.

The tournament is run during Japan's Golden Week (29 April to 5 May) and is a tough one for the participating schools. The winners will have won six matches in the week.

South African teams have done well, as Glenwood, Boland Landbou and Grey Bloem, are previous winners.

Sehlako, who is 28 at the end of this year, was born in Durban, went to Northwood in Durban, lives in Durban and is engaged to an "amazing woman called Lucy Ngcobo". He is a fitness manager at Virgin Active the Gateway branch.

Sehlako started refereeing in 2004 and is now ranked No.2 on the South African Provincial Panel and last year refereed the main match on the last day of the Craven Week.

He follows in the footsteps of Ben Crouse who was at the 2009 Sanix.