Americas Rugby News Rugby news from across the Americas!
Argentines have been appointed to referees several matches at the World Cup Nations Cup. The upcoming tournament will be the inaugural event and involve twelve competitors. The twelve teams have all qualified for Rugby World Cup 2027.
Tomás Bertazza will officiated Canada’s home match against Spain in Edmonton on Saturday, July 04. This appointment will enable bilateral officiating as Bertazza is a native Spanish speaker who has a strong command of English. This has previously been demonstrated as recently as in the u20 Rugby Championship.
Bertazza will be assisted by USA referees Mike Lawrenson and Derek Summers. Lawrenson and Summers will be the assistant referees with England’s Dan Jones completing the team as the TMO.
Canadian Robin Kaluzniak has been appointed assistant referee for two matches at Dick’s Sporting Park in Denver, Colorado on Saturday, July 04. Kaluzniak will be assistant for USA vs Portugal and Tonga vs Zimbabwe. The Eagles’ home match will be refereed by Italian Gianluca Gnecchi.
Saturday, July 04 will also feature a double header at the Estadio Nacional Julio Martínez Paradinos in Santiago del Chile. Brazilian referee, Cauã Ricardo will be an assistant referee for Samoa vs Hong Kong and Chile vs Romania. Argentine Damián Schneider will be the referee for the latter of the two fixtures. Cauã and Schneider are well-known to Chile from Super Rugby Americas.
The use of Spanish will not be present for Uruguay vs Georgia, also on July 04. Welshman Craig Evans, who does not speak Spanish, will officiate the match. It is not his first appointment for fixtures South American featuring a South American side. The appointment of Evans is mysterious given Argentines Tomás Ninci and Federico Longobardi will be his assistants.
Week two fixtures of the 2026 Nations Cup will be played on Saturday, July 11. Damián Schneider will officiate USA vs Zimbabwe in Charlotte, North Carolina. Canadian Robin Kaluzniak will be an assistant referee. The five other fixtures will all feature Americas officials as assistant referees.
The week three fixtures will take place on Saturday, July 18. Damián Schneider will referee Tonga vs Portugal in Winnipeg, Canada. Mike Lawrenson has been appointed as an assistant referee while Uruguayan, Federico González will be the TMO.
Canada’s home match against Zimbabwe on Saturday, July 18 will also be at Winnipeg. Tomás Bertazza has been appointed as referee and Mike Lawrenson will back-up from Tonga vs Portugal by also being an assistant referee. Meanwhile, the three matches that day in South America will also all feature Americas officials.
 APPOINTMENTS – MATCH OFFICIALS |
| USA vs Portugal DICK’S Sporting Goods Park, Denver, CO Saturday, July, 04 |
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy) Assistant 1: Jérémy Rozier (France) Assistant 2: Robin Kaluzniak (Canada) TMO: Adam Jones (WRU) |
| Tonga vs Zimbabwe DICK’S Sporting Goods Park, Denver, CO, USA Saturday, July 04 |
Referee: Ben Breakspear (Wales) Assistant 1: Jeremy Rozier (France) Assistant 2: Robin Kaluzniak (Canada) TMO: Adam Jones (WRU) |
| Canada vs Spain Clarke Stadium, Edmonton, Canada Saturday, 4 July, 2026 |
Referee: Tomás Bertazza (Argentina) Assistant 1: Mike Lawrenson (USA) Assistant 2: Derek Summers (USA) TMO: Dan Jones (England) |
| Samoa vs Hong Kong Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile Saturday, July, 04 |
Referee: Angus Mabey (New Zealand) Assistant 1: Jordan Way (Australia) Assistant 2: Cauã Ricardo (Brazil) TMO: Tual Trainini (France) |
| Chile vs Romania Estadio Nacional, Santiago Saturday, July 04 |
Referee: Damián Schneider (UAR) Assistant 1: Jordan Way (Australia) Assistant 2: Caua Ricardo (Brazil) TMO: Tual Trainini (France) |
| Uruguay vs Georgia Estadio Charrua, Montevideo, Uruguay Saturday, July 04 |
Referee: Craig Evans (Wales) Assistant 1: Tomas Ninci (Argentina) Assistant 2: Federico Longobardi (Argentina) TMO: Dan Jones (RFU) |
| USA vs Zimbabwe American Legion Memorial Stadium, Charlotte, NC Saturday, July 11 |
Referee: Damián Schneider (Argentina) Assistant 1: Ben Breakspear (Wales) Assistant 2: Robin Kaluzniak (Canada) TMO: Dan Jones (RFU) |
| Tonga vs Spain Clarke Stadium, Edmonton, Canada Saturday, July 11 |
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (FIR) Assistant 1: Tomás Bertazza (Argentina) Assistant 2: Mike Lawrenson (USA) TMO: Stefano Penne (Italy) |
| Canada vs Portugal Clarke Stadium, Edmonton Saturday, July 11 |
Referee: Jérémy Rozier (France) Assistant 1: Tomás Bertazza (Argentina) Assistant 2: Mike Lawrenson (USA) TMO: Stefano Penne (Italy) |
| Samoa vs Georgia Estadio Sausalita, Viña del Mar, Chile Saturday, July 11 |
Referee: Adam Leal (England) Assistant 1: Tomás Ninci (Argentina) Assistant 2: Federico Longobardi (Argentina) TMO: Leo Colgan (Ireland) |
| Chile vs Hong Kong Estadio Sausalita, Viña del Mar Saturday, July 11 |
Referee: Craig Evans (Wales) Assistant 1: Tomas Ninci (Argentina) Assistant 2: Federico Longobardi (Argentina) TMO: Leo Colgan (Ireland) |
| Uruguay vs Romania Estadio Charrua, Montevideo Saturday, July 11 |
Referee: Jordan Way (Australia) Assistant 1: Angus Mabey (New Zealand) Assistant 2: Cauã Ricardo (Brazil) TMO: Dan Jones (England) |
| USA vs Spain Wake Med Soccer Park, Raleigh, NC Saturday, July, 18 |
Referee: Ben Breakspear (Wales) Assistant 1: Jérémy Rozier (France) Assistant 2: Robin Kaluzniak (Canada) TMO: Dan Jones (England) |
| Tonga vs Portugal Princess Auto Stadium, Winnipeg, Canada Saturday, July 18 |
Referee: Damián Schneider (Argentina) Assistant 1: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy) Assistant 2: Mike Lawrenson (USA) TMO: Francisco González (Uruguay) |
| Canada vs Zimbabwe Princess Auto Stadium, Winnipeg Saturday, July 18 |
Referee: Tomás Bertazza (Argentina) Assistant 1: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy) Assistant 2: Mike Lawrenson (USA) TMO: Aled Griffiths (Wales) |
| Samoa vs Romania Estadio Charrua, Montevideo, Uruguay Saturday, July 18 |
Referee: Angus Mabey (New Zealand) Assistant Referee 1: Tomás Ninci (Argentina) Assistant Referee 2: Cauã Ricardo (Brazil) TMO: Julien Caistaignede (France) |
| Uruguay vs Hong Kong Estadio Charrua, Montevideo Saturday, July 18 |
Referee: Adam Leal (England) Assistant 1: Tomás Ninci (Argentina) Assistant 2: Cauã Ricardo (Brazil) TMO: Dan Jones (England) |
| Chile vs Georgia Estadio La Portada, La Serena Saturday, July 18 |
Referee: Jordan Way (Australia) Assistant 1: Craig Evans (Wales) Assistant 2: Federico Longobardi (Argentina) TMO: Julien Caistaignede (France) |
| NATIONS CUP 2026 FIXTURES – JULY |
