The referees have been named for the Superliga Americana de Rugby (SLAR). The nine-man panel is made up of officials from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.
The 2021 SLAR season will begin on March 16 at the estadio La Pintana in Santiago, Chile. The season will contain six competing teams. They are Los Cafeteros Pro (Colombia), Jaguares XV (Argentina), Cobras (Brazil), Selknam (Chile), Olímpia Lions (Paraguay), and Peñarol (Uruguay).
Newcomers Colombia are the one country without a referee on the SLAR panel. The panel contains veterans Felipe Balbontín (Chile), Francisco González (Uruguay) and Argentines Nehuén Jauri Rivero, Esteban Filipanics and Damián Schneider.
Appointments are determined by Sudamérica Rugby regional referee manager, Joaquín Montes. The Uruguayan is a former international referee himself; he was one of the leading officials from the Americas during the previous RWC cycle.
The officials will be based in Santiago as of March 12. Montes will organize them into groups of three.
SLAR 2021 – REFEREES
Felipe Balbontín (Chile)
Tomás Bertazza (Argentina)
Adrián Bogado (Paraguay)
Esteban Filipanics (Argentina)
Francisco González (Uruguay)
Nehuén Jauri Rivero (Argentina)
Frank Méndez (Chile)
Cauã Ricardo (Brazil)
Damián Schneider (Argentina)