Match officials confirmed for Saturday’s World Cup Qualifiers

World Rugby have confirmed the match officials for this weekend’s Americas zone qualifying series finales. The appointments are significantly different in complexion to the Irish officials who took charge of the first matches in each series. All eight officials are neutral appointments.

Chile host Canada in Valparaiso with the winner advancing to the Americas 2 qualifying series and the loser eliminated from contention for a spot at RWC 2023. Canada hold a one-point advantage from the first test. Assigned as head referee is Mathieu Raynal from France. The 40-year-old is vastly experienced, most notably refereeing at the 2019 World Cup and taking charge of the third test of the 2021 British & Irish Lions series against South Africa.

Mathieu Raynal was unable to obtain a quarantine exemption to enter Chile and will no longer referee the Chile vs Canada match. Taking his place is 27-year-old Nehuén Jauri Rivero from Argentina. Like Schneider, he refereed during the 2021 SLAR season and was on the senior panel at the Olympic Games.

The Americas 1 spot will be decided between the winner of Uruguay and the USA, the Eagles taking a 3-point advantage into the second match. Argentina’s Damián Schneider will be in the middle. The 28-year-old has been a frequent referee in the Americas Rugby Championship, the World Sevens Series, and during the 2021 SLAR season. He recently refereed at the Tokyo Olympics.

Chile vs Canada
Saturday, 9 October, 2021
Estadio Elías Figueroa, Valparaiso
15:00 local (11:00 Pacific, 14:00 Eastern)

Referee: Nehuén Jauri Rivero (Argentina)
Assistants: Francisco González (Uruguay) & Gonzalo de Achaval (Argentina)
TMO: Gabriel Pinter (Argentina)

Uruguay vs USA
Saturday, 9 October, 2021
Estadio Charrúa, Montevideo
16:00 local (12:00 Pacific, 15:00 Eastern)

Referee: Damián Schneider (Argentina)
Assistants: Tomás Bertazza (Argentina) & Cauã Ricardo (Brazil)
TMO: Santiago Borsani (Argentina)