Leinster vs Munster | Guinness PRO14 Final 2021

FINAL LEINSTER V MUNSTER
For those of you from outside
Ireland, TG4 are an Irishlanguage
station that have
been very progressive in their
broadcasting of women’s sport
and promoting female talent for
over 20 years. Their support of
Gaelic football has led to record
attendances for women’s finals
and they have been keen to put
strong, capable women on their
rugby broadcasts for a number
of seasons now. In Ireland, they
have certainly been part of the
first waves of momentum we see
today.
An all-female line-up was not
about courting publicity. I’ve been
involved for three years with TG4
and during that time they have
assembled and developed the
talent to make it work.
Our leading host, Máire Treasa
Ní Dubhbgaill is a hugely
recognisable face in Irish sports
broadcasting and she has been
phenomenal at her job for over
a decade. Deirbhile Níc Bháird
has played in the backs and the
forwards, played for Ireland,
played Sevens and she has an
insight that very few can provide.
Jenny Murphy conducted
interviews and provided analysis
and she has an accomplished
rugby CV having won a Grand
Slam, played Sevens for Ireland
and represented the Baa-Baas.
Máire Ní Bhraonáin, who works
at Gonzaga College where she
gets to see the latest Leinster
talent emerge, was our lead
commentator and she has
already got plenty of Guinness
PRO14 games under her belt
now. Our team at the RDS was
well proven, that’s for sure.
Earlier, I mentioned Emily
Scarratt, who is the most
talented player I’ve ever come
across in rugby. When she won
the Player of the Tournament
award for the Six Nations, the
announcement was made in
tandem with Antoine Dupont’s
win for the male award. Guinness’
decision to sponsor the Womens’
Six Nations has massively helped
the profile of women’s rugby in
Europe.
We see it all the time now,
especially with the England
national team who play at
Twickenham – usually on
the same day as the mens’
team. Last year another Irish
international, Louise Galvin, and
myself were part of eir Sport’s
World Cup coverage.
I was fortunate to appear in a
national TV advert alongside
Tommy Bowe, Gordon D’Arcy
and Peter Stringer – three icons
of Irish rugby, and that again
elevated the perception of
female athletes. So much so, in
fact, that because our training
schedule for the national team
limited our appearances – an
expectancy was created and any
time we were not involved, fans
were asking about us.
All of this visibility and support is
making a real difference.
My cousin’s daughter, Éowyn,
has become obsessed with
rugby because she can watch
the women’s team play on
TV. She can go see Munster
and Ireland play live at proper
stadiums that make it a great
day out for families. Ahead of
the men’s World Cup last year
the national squad were doing
an open training session in each
province, but when she arrived
at the event in Thomond Park
she was distraught because it
was the men’s team and not the
women’s!
That hits home because to her
it’s normal to see women playing
elite sport, it’s normal to see big
crowds attending their games
and it’s normal to see female TV
analysts.
In Ireland we have the 20x20
campaign (#CantSeeCantBe)
urging everyone involved in sport
to find ways to play their part
and it is great to see TG4 being
such leaders in this space.
We’ve also received great
support from our provinces and
sponsors but I would challenge
everyone to ask what more can
they do to raise the profile of
women in sport? What other
broadcasters and media outlets
can follow this path?
We’ve proven that if she can see
it, she can be it… but we can’t
and we won’t stop there.
27|03|21 RDS ARENA | DUBLIN 59