Draft:Lisa Rivers

Submission declined on 11 June 2026 by Dan arndt (talk).

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Declined by Dan arndt 5 days ago. Last edited by Dan arndt 5 days ago. Reviewer: Inform author.

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Lisa Rivers (née Harrison) is a British Judo referee, coach, and 5th Dan judoka. She is an International Judo Federation (IJF) World Judo Tour referee, an EJU Referee Expert, and one of the most experienced female officials in British judo. Rivers has officiated at major international events including the European Championships, World Championships, European Games, IBSA competitions, and multiple IJF Grand Slams and Grand Prix tournaments.

Early life

Rivers began judo in 1991 at Chichester Ronin Judo Club. At age ten, she completed her first refereeing qualification after her coach encouraged all club members to attend a refereeing course. She progressed through the junior refereeing pathway while competing at county and area level. She later trained at TNJC before joining Kin Ryu Judo Club in 2002.

Refereeing career

Rivers has been active as a referee since 1991, progressing through every level of the British and international pathway.

In 2019, the British Judo Association noted that Rivers became the third British woman to earn the IJF A Licence and the first woman to progress from BJA Junior → IJF‑A. Together with her husband, Martin Rivers, she became part of the first British husband‑and‑wife pair to hold IJF‑A licences.

In October 2023, British Judo published a feature marking her first year on the IJF World Judo Tour. She made her World Tour debut at the 2022 Abu Dhabi Grand Slam, becoming the first British referee on the Tour since 2012, and officiated eight World Tour events in her first year.

In January 2024, Rivers was selected as one of three British referees to attend the IJF Refereeing and Coaching Seminar in Győr, Hungary, preparing officials for the Paris 2024 Olympic cycle.

In June 2026, Rivers was invited to contribute to the UK Parliament’s Women and Equalities Select Committee inquiry on routes into non‑playing sports roles for women and girls, following a request for her participation in a public evidence session on officiating.

Qualifications

BJA 5th Dan (2024)
IJF Academy Graduate (2023)
IJF A Licence Referee (2019)
EJU Referee Expert
IJF World Judo Tour Referee (2022–present)

Major international appointments

Rivers has officiated at numerous IJF, EJU, and IBSA events. Selected appointments include:

2026

Upper Austria Grand Prix
IBSA European Senior Championships
Commonwealth Games (Selected for)
European Junior Championships (Selected for)

2025

IBSA European Senior Championships
IBSA Grand Prix, Egypt
European Senior Championships
Baku Grand Slam
Paris Grand Slam

2024

European U23 Championships
Abu Dhabi Grand Slam
Cadet World Championships, Lima
Upper Austria Grand Prix
VI Grand Prix Heidelberg

2023

Abu Dhabi Grand Slam
Senior European Championships, Montpellier
Cadet World Championships, Zagreb
Zagreb Grand Prix
IBSA European Games, Rotterdam
European Games, Poland
IBSA Grand Prix, Alexandria
Antalya Grand Slam
Paris Grand Slam

2022

Abu Dhabi Grand Slam
Islamic Games, Konya
European Senior Championships, Sofia

Earlier career

European Team Championships (2019, 2021)
Junior European Championships (2019, 2021)
Cadet European Championships (2017, 2018)
Veteran European Championships (2018)
World Masters Championships, Brussels (2008)
Numerous European Cups and Opens (2014–present)

Coaching and volunteering

Alongside refereeing, Rivers is an experienced coach at Kin Ryu Judo Club.

Crawley Community Awards Sports Person (2026)
Talent Development Coach of the Year – Runner-up, UK Coaching Awards (2025)
Personal coach to European Cadet athletes (2025)
Coach to European and Pan American Cup medallists (2023–present)
Coach to Rio 2016 Paralympian
Coach to Junior World VI Champion (2013)
Club coach to numerous national medallists (2009–present)
Contributor to Kin Ryu’s BJA Silver Club Accreditation (2006)
SCSP Platinum-Level Volunteer (2007)

Administrative roles

Rivers has held several governance and committee positions:

National Refereeing Commission (2024–present)
Southern Area Development Sub-Committee (2008)
Southern Area Refereeing Sub-Committee (2004, 2008)
Sussex County Committee (2006–present)
Kin Ryu Judo Club Committee (2006–present)

Memberships

British Judo Association – B91100 (1991–present)
Kin Ryu Judo Club (2002–present)
TNJC (1998–2002)
Chichester Ronin Judo Club (1991–1998)

References

European Judo Union. "Le Voyage to Paris 2024: Lisa Harrison (GBR)".
Kin Ryu Judo Club. "Lisa Rivers – Judo Resume".
British Judo Association. "One Year on the IJF World Tour – Lisa Rivers" (2023).
British Judo Association. "British Referees Attend IJF Refereeing & Coaching Seminar" (2024).
IJF and EJU competition archives.
British Judo Association records.

External links

Category:British judoka Category:British sports officials Category:Judo referees Category:Living people Category:Year of birth missing (living people)