Alhambra Nievas

Last updated

Alhambra Nievas
Alhambra Nievas portrait.jpg
Nievas in 2016
Birth nameAlhambra Nievas González [1]
Date of birth (1983-08-09) 9 August 1983 (age 40)
Place of birth Beas de Granada, Spain
University University of Málaga
Rugby union career
Position(s) Back row
Senior career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2002–12 CDU Málaga ()
Provincial / State sides
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2004–12 Andalucía ()
International career
YearsTeamApps(Points)
2006 Spain 3
National sevens team
YearsTeamComps
200x– Spain Sevens
Refereeing career
YearsCompetitionApps
2012– División de Honor de Rugby
2012– Copa del Rey de Rugby
2014– World Rugby Women's Sevens Series
2014– Women's Rugby World Cup
2015– Women's Six Nations Championship
2016– Women's Rugby sevens at the Olympics
2017– Rugby Europe Conference

Alhambra Nievas González (born 9 August 1983) is a former Spain women's rugby union international and a current rugby union referee. Nievas refereed the women's final at the 2016 Summer Olympics. In 2016 she also served as an assistant referee at a men's international between Tonga and the United States. This saw her become the first woman to officiate in a men's rugby union international. In 2017 Nievas refereed a Rugby Europe Conference match between Finland and Norway. This saw her become the first woman to referee a men's rugby union international in Europe. In 2016 Nievas, along with Rasta Rasivhenge, was jointly named World Rugby Referee of the Year. She is the first woman to win the award. She was previously nominated for the award in 2015.

Contents

Early life

Nievas was born in Beas de Granada [2] and was named after the Alhambra. As a child she spent time in Almería, where she played and tried out various sports including association football, tennis, basketball, volleyball, and karate. [3] [4] [1] [5]

Playing career

Club and province

Nievas first began playing women's rugby union in 2002, aged 19, while attending the University of Málaga, where she was studying for a degree in telecommunications engineering. She subsequently played for the university's women's team for ten years and also served as club captain. She remains actively involved with the team, serving as a coordinator and trainer. In addition to playing for CDU Málaga, Nievas represented Andalucía at provincial level. [4] [1] [6] [7] [8]

Spain international

During the 2006 Women's Six Nations Championship, Nievas made three appearances for Spain. She made her debut on 11 February in a 3–86 defeat against England. She also played against France on 25 February and against Scotland on 18 March. [9] Nievas also played for the Spain women's national rugby sevens team. [1] [6] [8]

Refereeing career

Early years

Nievas refereeing a match in the Division de Honor de Rugby Alhambra Nievas como arbitro de la Division de Honor en Espana.jpg
Nievas refereeing a match in the División de Honor de Rugby

Nievas first began refereeing in 2006, aged 26. While still an active player, she agreed to help out at a children's tournament. Then on weekends, when she did not have a match, she began regularly refereeing youth matches. Her talents were recognised by both the Federación Andaluza de Rugby and the Spanish Rugby Federation. In 2012, after being offered the chance to take charge of matches in senior men's competitions, Nievas chose to retire as a player and concentrate on refereeing. In 2012–13 she began refereeing in the División de Honor de Rugby and in 2014–15 she refereed the championship final. In 2014, after Paloma Loza and Itziar Díaz, she became the third woman to referee a Copa del Rey de Rugby final. She also refereed the 2017 final. [4] [5] [6] [8] [10] [11]

Women's international competitions

6 August 2016: Nievas refereeing a match between Brazil and Great Britain at the 2016 Summer Olympics Brasil vs Gra-Bretanha - rugby sevens feminino 6 ago 13.jpg
6 August 2016: Nievas refereeing a match between Brazil and Great Britain at the 2016 Summer Olympics

On 15 February 2014, at the USA Women's Sevens, Nievas took charge of a match between Australia and China. This was her first match in charge on the World Rugby Women's Sevens Series circuit. On 30 November 2017 at the Dubai Women's Sevens she took charge of a match between Russia and England. This was her 100th World Rugby Women's Sevens Series match. [12] In 2014 Nievas made her international debut as a referee in the women's fifteen-a-side game when she took charge of a game between New Zealand and Samoa at Eden Park. She subsequently refereed games in the Women's Six Nations Championship and at both the 2014 and 2017 Women's Rugby World Cups. She also refereed the women's final at the 2016 Summer Olympics. [5] [6] [13] [14]

Men's international competitions

Nievas served as referee at both the 2015 Africa Cup Sevens [6] and the 2016 Men's Rugby Sevens Final Olympic Qualification Tournament. [5] On 19 November 2016 Nievas served as an assistant referee at an international between Tonga and the United States at Anoeta Stadium. This made her the first woman to officiate in a men's rugby union international. [3] [5] [1] On 14 October 2017 Nievas refereed a Rugby Europe Conference match between Finland and Norway, becoming the first woman to referee a men's rugby union international in Europe. [13] [14] [15] [16] Ireland's Joy Neville became the second two weeks later. [13]

Honours

Individual

Related Research Articles

The World Rugby Awards are given out annually by World Rugby, the worldwide governing body for rugby union, for major achievements in the sport. The idea of rewarding excellence in rugby was disclosed in 2001 following the Annual Meeting of the International Rugby Board Council in Copenhagen, and the first ceremony was first awarded later that year. The International Rugby Players' Association also gives out awards, for Try of the Year, and Special Merit, as a part of the programme. As of 2021, they now present Women's Try of the Year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beas de Granada</span> Town in Granada, Spain

Beas de Granada is a town located in the province of Granada, Andalusia, southern Spain. As of 2009, the town had a population of 1050 inhabitants. The settlement is at a height of 1072 meters above sea level and therefore has good views of the sierra Nevada. It is within the Parque Natural de la Sierra de Huétor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kelly Brazier</span> New Zealand rugby union player

Kelly Brazier is a New Zealand rugby union and sevens player. She has played flyhalf, centre and fullback for the Black Ferns, New Zealand's women's national rugby team, and has competed at three Rugby World Cups in 2010, 2014, and 2017. She has represented Otago, Canterbury and the Bay of Plenty in the Farah Palmer Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Lacey (rugby union)</span> Rugby player

John Lacey is a former Ireland A and Ireland Sevens rugby union international and current rugby union referee. As a player, Lacey spent most of career with Shannon in the All-Ireland League. He also represented Munster. As an international referee he has taken charge of matches in the Six Nations Championship, the Rugby Championship and the Rugby World Cup. He also refereed the 2013 Pro12 Grand Final and the 2015–16 and 2016–17 European Rugby Challenge Cup finals.

The 2014 USA Sevens was the second tournament within the 2013-14 Sevens World Series. It was held over the weekend of 15–16 February 2014 at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in the Atlanta suburb of Kennesaw, Georgia.

This is a timeline of women's sports, spanning from ancient history up to the 21st century. It includes both competitive sports and notable physical feats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kateryna Monzul</span> Ukrainian football referee

Kateryna Volodymyrivna Monzul is a Ukrainian football referee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rugby sevens at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Women's tournament</span>

The women's rugby sevens tournament at the 2016 Summer Olympics was held in Brazil, hosted at the Deodoro Stadium, a temporary outdoor stadium constructed as part of the Deodoro Modern Pentathlon Park in Rio de Janeiro. The tournament was held from 6 August to 8 August 2016, starting with group matches before finishing with the medal ceremony on 8 August.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Women's Rugby World Cup</span> Rugby union event in Ireland

The 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup was the eighth edition of the Women's Rugby World Cup and was held in Ireland in August 2017. New Zealand became the 2017 champions by beating England 41–32 in the final on 26 August. Matches were held in Dublin and Belfast. The pool stages were held at University College Dublin with the semi-finals and finals held at Queen's University and Kingspan Stadium in Belfast.

The 2017–18 Rugby Europe Conference is the third-level rugby union competition below the premier Championship and Trophy competitions. It is the second Conference under its new format. After Czech Republic was promoted to the Trophy and Ukraine relegated at the end of the 2016–17 season, Andorra, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Sweden and Ukraine compete for the Conference 1 title. While after the relegation of Turkey and the promotion of Slovakia, Austria, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Luxembourg, Norway, Serbia, Slovenia and Slovakia will compete for the Conference 2 title.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andrew Brace</span> Rugby union referee and former player

Andrew Brace is a rugby union referee and former player. Born in Cardiff, Wales, Brace represents the Irish Rugby Football Union as a referee, and was an international player for Belgium. He has refereed matches in the Pro14, the European Rugby Challenge Cup and the European Rugby Champions Cup. In 2017 he began refereeing test matches. He has been married to his childhood sweetheart for over 10 years, Amanda Brace. He describes his relationship as ‘the best thing that’s ever happened to him, second only to refereeing.’

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joy Neville</span> Irish rugby union footballer and referee

Joy Neville is a former Ireland women's rugby union international and rugby union referee. As a player, Neville represented Ireland at both the 2006 and 2010 Women's Rugby World Cups. In 2009 Neville captained the first Ireland team to defeat France. In 2013 she was also a member of the first Ireland women's team to win the Six Nations, Grand Slam and Triple Crown titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Claudia Umpiérrez</span> Uruguayan association football referee and lawyer

Claudia Inés Umpiérrez Rodríguez, best known only as Claudia Umpiérrez, is a Uruguayan association football referee and lawyer by profession.

Amy Perrett is an Australian professional rugby union referee. She has refereed at the Women's Rugby World Cup, including the final in 2014, as well as the Women's Sevens World Series and Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sara Cox (referee)</span> English rugby union referee

Sara Louise Cox is an English rugby union referee and former rugby union footballer. In 2016, she became the world's first professional female rugby union referee, and in 2018 she became the first woman to referee a Premiership Rugby Cup match. On 25 September 2021, she became the first woman to referee a Premiership Rugby Union Match when she took centre field for a fixture between Harlequins and Worcester Warriors at the Stoop.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hollie Davidson</span> Scottish rugby union player and referee

Hollie Davidson is a professional rugby union referee who is contracted with the Scottish Rugby Union.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rebecca Welch</span> English football referee

Rebecca Welch is an English football referee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aurélie Groizeleau</span> French rugby union referee and former player

Aurélie Groizeleau is a French rugby union referee and former player, who has officiated at international level since 2018. As a player, she made five appearances for the France women's national rugby union team and five appearances for the France women's national rugby sevens team.

Nicola Inwood is a rugby union referee and former player. She made her debut for New Zealand in 1989. She competed at the 1991 Rugby World Cup.

Maryna Striletska is a Ukrainian association football referee. In 2020, she was part of the first all-women officiating team for a men's international match. Since 2022, she officiates in the Swiss Promotion League.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "Alhambra Nievas: Referee of the Year". scrumqueens.com. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  2. ↑ "Alhambra Nievas The Granada 1983 Vintage Is Still Breaking Down Barriers". thesportsdragon.com. 21 September 2017. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 "Alhambra Nievas named best referee in world rugby". surinenglish.com. 17 January 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  4. 1 2 3 "Interview with the first woman to referee a men's rugby international in Europe". euroweeklynews.com . 2 November 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Alhambra Nievas: "Lo mío con el rugby fue amor a primera vista"". Marca (in Spanish). Spain. 3 November 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "A Lady of Spain come to Referee". sareferees.com. 30 September 2015. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  7. ↑ "CDU Málaga – Personal" (in Spanish). cduma.es. Archived from the original on 3 January 2018. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  8. 1 2 3 "World Rugby's Referee of the Year 2016 Drop-Kicks Project PsyTool to the Next Level". psytoolsport.eu. Archived from the original on 3 January 2018. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  9. ↑ "Alhambra Nievas: "Nadie va con el árbitro"" (in Spanish). jotdown.es. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  10. ↑ "Federacion Andaluza De Rugby" (PDF) (in Spanish). ferugby.es. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  11. ↑ "Referee By Royal Appointment". thesportsdragon.com. 11 May 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  12. ↑ "Alhambra Nievas A Century of Sevens". thesportsdragon.com. 27 November 2017. Retrieved 1 January 2018.
  13. 1 2 3 4 "Female referees Alhambra Nievas and Joy Neville to make history by taking charge of Men's Internationals". The Daily Telegraph . 26 September 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2017.
  14. 1 2 "Alhambra Nievas: Female referee hopes to 'create a pathway' for other women". BBC. 20 October 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  15. ↑ "Meet Alhambra Nievas – the trailblazing female referee about to make history". The Daily Telegraph . 12 October 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
  16. ↑ "Spanish referee Alhambra Nievas makes rugby history in Helsinki". The Daily Telegraph . 15 October 2017. Retrieved 29 December 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.