Cisco Lopez on making history as one of the first Americans to officiate rugby at The Olympic Games
Rugby sevens referee Cisco Lopez made history last month when he was one of the first USA representatives to officiate at the Olympic Games. Along with our partners ACME Whistles we spoke to Lopez about what it is like to be behind the whistle at such a prestigious sporting event.
“It’s big – it’s huge at the Olympic Games,” he said. “I didn’t realise exactly what I was getting into until we were at the opening ceremony and then it really hit me that every sport and every athlete was there, and all eyes were going to be on us. It’s a lot of pressure, but thankfully it went off without a hitch.”
While several America referees have tried to get into the Olympic squad previously, none have managed to clinch it, making what Lopez and his colleague at Major League Rugby (MLR), Kat Roche, have achieved particularly poignant for rugby in the USA.
“A couple of Americans have had a crack at it before and I know how close they got,” Lopez continues.
“I think how far they got made it a lot easier for me and Kat and also made it amazingly special.”
Lopez met Roche in 2016 at a qualifier for the Olympics in Cary, North Carolina.
“Kat and I go way back,” he reflects.
“I had never met her before the 2016 qualifier which was shortly after she’d completed her referee course. She was doing score recording and from there we got close, so to reach the pinnacle of the 2024 Olympics with someone who is not just a teammate, but also a good friend was the icing on top of the cake.
“It made the experience more personal and fun instead of just being a historical moment. It’s a special memory that I’m able to carry into the rest of my life.”
Over the last year, Lopez has undertaken more endurance running to support his refereeing career.
“Endurance running not only helps me to stay fit as a referee, but it also helps me get into the right mental headspace which is important with it being both a physical and mental sport,” he said.
“The whole of the last year has been a big lead-up in terms of prep for the Olympics and whether you’ll be in the top, middle or bottom group for refereeing at the event. It was great to get feedback from coaches like Paddy O’Brien, Craig Joubert, and Alhambra Nievas and taking that into the next five tournaments I did beforehand offered a real iterative process leading up to the Olympic Games.
The team headed to Faro, Portugal for a pre-Olympics camp where they presented on specific key focus areas in the game, such as breakdown, scrum, lineout, foul play, and working with AR’s and TMO’s.
“That really helped us to get aligned going into the Olympics,” said Lopez.
“It gave us a plan of what we were going to do if a serious situation occurred as well as deciding more generally about how we were going to get things done.
“And that was great both in terms of having the work side of things aligned and getting some great interpersonal time within the team before the big carnival of the Olympics got started because it’s huge. I didn’t realise exactly what I was getting into until we were at the opening ceremony and then it really hit me.
“Like all eyes are going to be on us and if we’re not on then it’s not going to be good. But thankfully it was fine and that’s all down to the preparation we had going into it.”
According to Lopez, behind the scenes at the Olympic Games is “really similar to a lot of the other sevens tournaments” but some things made this experience different to anything he’d done before.
“We’re in the Stade de France which is already a rugby specific arena so it’s like any other big game, but then there are new faces, people you’re not used to seeing like medical teams and even broadcast,” he adds.
“And that bit of difference reminds you that this is the big one. Our little run outs that we had at the beginning of the games where some of the teammates would go out two by two and then the refs would go out and stand in front of the camera and the ball.
“That was when the nerves hit you and you’ve got someone giving you direction because normally refs are at the back of the line that runs out, so it was really cool to have that extra bit of visibility.
“A particular highlight was day one of being in the Stade de France with 66,000 people watching the women’s France versus Brazil game and being in the middle of that with all the noise and the sound of the rugby songs.
“Those are the moments that are absolutely unforgettable because those are genuine rugby history and it’s crazy that I was part of it, but I’m so grateful.”
When speaking about how important it is for Rugby sevens to be represented at such a prestigious event, Lopez was candid, saying, “The USA women’s team winning bronze went viral and enabled people to experience exactly what rugby and rugby sevens is all about.
“Getting it on the world stage at this pinnacle event is huge and showcased sevens as a sport within its own right and not just as a feeder sport for 15s.
“It’s a unique sport and that’s what makes it so special and worthy of recognition for all the people involved – both behind the scenes and those doing the graft on the field to get the results.”
“So, the Olympics has been a really strong opportunity to put rugby sevens more on the map in the United States and not just as something to watch, but also to participate in.”
Officiating at the Olympics was particularly special for Lopez, whose dad almost made it to the Games in 1988 as a 400m hurdler and a national champion for Mexico.
“He hit the Olympic standard time, but the Mexican Federation going into the Olympics was adamant that they would only accept him if he was going to be able to contend for a medal,” he explains.
“He was fast, but not that fast so he wasn’t able to go, but that’s what also made this experience personal for me – tying that knot for him and us as a family.
“My parents were at the games I officiated, and it was a super emotional time for us all and I’m glad I was able to give back to them via this experience because they’ve done such a good job of raising me and my siblings.”
For more information about how to get into refereeing, visit www.ACMEWhistles.co.uk