Lisa Rivers Brings Judo’s Case for Women in Sport to Westminster

Lisa Rivers, a World Judo Tour referee, took judo into an important public conversation in British politics this month. On 17 June 2026, she attended a public evidence session at the Palace of Westminster after being invited by the Women’s and Equalities select Committee.

The session was part of a new research project focused on routes into non-playing sports roles for women and girls. The committee is examining barriers that affect access to positions in coaching, officiating, sports science, governance and sports journalism, and Rivers joined a panel of three experts looking specifically at officiating.

For judo, this was a rare and meaningful moment. Rivers explained that Members of Parliament asked her about refereeing and officiating, especially her experience as a female referee in judo. She said she had been invited after the committee chair, who had an interest in martial arts, was made aware of her work at the highest level of the sport.

The two other panel members came from football and tennis, which made judo’s presence stand out even more. Rivers said all three experts were asked about the issues affecting women entering sporting environments, the changes they would like to see, and how pathways from grassroots to elite level could be improved.

Before the session, Rivers prepared carefully to make sure she was not speaking only from her own experience. She sent a questionnaire to female colleagues across the UK as well as other female World Judo Tour referees, gathering views on both the challenges and the examples of good practice already in place nationally and internationally.

That wider input gave her what she described as a more rounded view of the issues. It also helped her represent not only herself, but the judo community, women in sport and especially the women working in judo in Great Britain.

Rivers said she was pleased to be able to present judo in a positive light and to highlight the work already being done in the sport to improve inclusiveness for women. She also pointed to something deeper: simply being heard matters. In a sporting landscape where judo is smaller than football or tennis in the UK, having an equal voice in that room carried real significance.

Judo was not just present in Westminster; it was part of the decision-making conversation.

According to the source, Rivers spoke at length during the panel and offered a very positive perspective on women’s roles in both domestic and international judo. The inquiry could help shape recommendations to government and sporting bodies on how to improve opportunities for women and girls in non-playing roles.

She also connected the moment back to the demands of the sport itself, saying that judo and refereeing prepare you to stay calm and think under pressure. It is an observation many in the sport will instantly recognise.

The appearance does not mean the work is finished. The source makes clear that more progress is still needed. But for British judo, and for women building careers around the sport beyond competition, this was a serious step forward.

Rivers carried the experience of judo into a space where future policy can be shaped.

Source: IJF.org

Image source: IJF / International Judo Federation