Playing our part in redressing balance
WOMEN’S sport invariably hits the headlines when there’s any negative undertones, with the current debacle engulfing Wexford camogie being a case in point, or previously when the Irish team’s high-profile dispute with the FAI filled the airwaves.
That may be just a morose reflection of the depressing nature of modern life, with the media simply offering the negativity that the public gluttonously feeds on, as gloomy stories always seem to get more traction than positive ones.
Mercifully, yesterday’s newspapers can be the wrappings for tomorrow’s grease-covered chips and when sunny strides are made the dark days can be put to the back of the mind once the wounds have been adequately healed.
That said, the wrongdoings shouldn’t be entirely forgotten about, if only to ensure that the same mistakes aren’t made again and again.
The Irish soccer team have enjoyed an upturn in fortunes since that took the brave decision to stand up and be counted. At the time they got plenty of backing from all aspects of the media for their stance, now if only their exploits on the field could garner as much interest they would all be household names by now.
Ireland’s sporting women shone like a beacon on the international stage last year. The hockey team became the first Irish outfit in any sport to get to a World Cup final, the 4x100m relay team won silver at the World Under-20 athletics championships, while Sanita Puspure struck gold at the World Rowing Championships.
The indomitable Katie Taylor continued her prize-laden career by retaining her IBF and WBA world titles, while Kellie Harrington was on top of the world at the AIBA World Championships and Ellen Keane won gold and bronze and the Para-Swimming European Championships.
Domestically there was also plenty to get excited about, with Wexford Youths dominating the soccer scene, while on the GAA fields Cork won a record 28th camogie title and Dublin copper-fastened their recent supremacy by capturing the football equivalent.
That Ladies Gaelic Football All-Ireland finals day clearly illustrated that there is a huge appetite for women’s sport, with a crowd of 50,141 stepping through the turnstiles but sadly that burgeoning interest isn’t always reflected in media coverage.
The ambitious 20x20 movement has been set up in a bid to gain increased promotion of women in sport. With the tagline ‘if she can’t see it, she can’t be it’ they have three clear targets to reach by 2020; 20 percent more media coverage of women in sport; 20 percent more female participation and 20 percent more attendance at women’s competitions and events.
The 20x20 Nielsen Sports research found that 59 percent of Irish people want media publications and broadcasters to put more of a focus on female sport, while 57 percent want to see equality in female and male sporting role models in media.
The research also highlighted that 63 percent of those asked would like to see Ireland’s sportswomen become national heroes in the same way as our sportsmen are idolised.
At present just three percent of sports print coverage is on women’s games and four percent of online media, while less than 12 percent of television coverage is estimated to be dedicated to women’s sport.
The ambitious ‘20x20’ campaign has a tough, but ultimately navigable, road ahead as the interest piqued by the Irish hockey team’s fairytale run to the World Cup final shows that the appetite is there.
However, in the past women’s sports have been allowed to fade away into the background until the next unlikely heroic performance on the international stage turns heads, so the real litmus test and challenge is keeping it firmly in the spotlight.
The sad reality is that women’s sport only attracts a miniscule fraction of the lucrative sponsorship market, but it goes without saying that extra coverage will lead to greater opportunities.
Some would point out that the media in general largely ignore our sporting women because the public interest just isn’t there, although it could be equally argued that more coverage creates more interest and attendances and viewing figures would grow as a result.
The massive following that Katie Taylor has built up, for example, shows that it’s more about talent than gender when it comes to capturing the imagination of the public.
Young girls need strong sporting role models to look up to, so they can aspire to reach world class levels, whether it be jockey Rachael Blackmore, soccer star Louise Quinn or GAA great Sinead Aherne.
Seeing their sporting icons in the flesh or on their television screens more often can only have a positive effect, leading to increased participation and interest.
As a father of two myself, a girl and boy, I would like to see them grow up in a world of equal opportunities.
Sport plays a major part in that and the 20x20 initiative can go a long way to redressing the balance.
As somebody who attends Wexford Youths’ games in the Women’s National League I can testify that there’s no shortage of quality on show.
When the likes of Shelbourne or Peamount United visit you can witness a plethora of international standard players in action on both sides, but sadly the one thing the games lack is a proper atmosphere, as despite being the best team in the land, getting people through the turnstiles remains a lingering problem.
WNL sides have a loyal band of supporters cheering them on, but a deserved swell in numbers would add greatly to the overall match-day experience.
The product is clearly not the problem, it’s initially enticing punters to embrace it that seems to be the stumbling block.
People are clearly interested in what goes on in Ferrycarrig Park, as every time an Irish squad is announced there’s an almost audible tut-tut of disapproval on social media surrounding the dearth of Wexford Youths players on Colin Bell’s radar.
A lot of the facebookers and tweeters in question must be just forming their strong opinions based on online match reports or local media coverage, because they’re certainly not sitting in the stands.
The media may need to do more but the public also have to row in behind the 20x20 cause if they really want to help make a difference.
With the Women’s National League kicking off again next month, I would urge even casual followers of the game to get out and give it a go. After all, nothing beats being there.