Janice Butler chats to the popular broadcaster about her debut novel

Sports presenter Jacqui Hurley has just penned her first children’s book, Girls Play Too. She chats to Janice Butler about inspiring young girls to stay in sport and how she parents her own son and daughter

Jacqui Hurley is an impressive woman; she was the rst ever female presenter of Sunday Sport, and with that aside she has accomplished a huge amount during her time as a sports presenter, including reporting from the Olympics, the Euros, the FIFA World Cup and of course many GAA games. She has also taken part recently in e W, an RTÉ women’s sports podcast, which was part of the 20x20 initiative, which aimed to change people’s views of girls and women in sport. In her personal life, Jacqui, a mother of two (Luke and Lily), originally from Cork, credits sport for forming her strong personality and resilient traits. She played basketball for Ireland and camogie for Cork, and continues to play basketball now. When you hear of her long list of achievements both personally and professionally, it comes as no surprise that the basis of her rst book is to encourage young girls to reach for the stars, especially when it comes to competing in sport. Girls Play Too is a beautifully illustrated book for both boys and girls which highlights Jacqui’s choice of top female Irish athletes, their personal stories and how they reach the top of their chosen eld. Here she talks about completing her rst book, missing sport during lockdown and how she and husband, Shane, encourage their son and daughter to explore all their options.

How did the idea for this, your rst book, come about?

I wanted young girls to open up this book and realise that if they wanted to be like Katie Taylor or Denise O’Sullivan, that they can, because when I was young it really was only Sonia O’Sullivan that we read about in the newspaper. By normalising it in something like this, there’s something really empowering which shows young girls that they have so many more options in front of them. I was hoping to have it done last year, but there were a lot of moving parts; it was my rst book, we had ve di erent illustrators working on it and then trying to chat to all 25 athletes and get signatures from then it was a big project. I didn’t want to rush it, I wanted to get it right. Lockdown helped in a way, as it made me nish it o and focus the mind.

As someone who has worked in sport for a long time, have you noticed a di erence in its approach to women in sport?

e biggest di erence I have noticed is a shi in mindsets. People have o en asked me whether I had ever experienced sexism in work and I haven’t, but what I did have at the start was a sense of surprise when I said I was presenting a sports programme or covering a game. Over the years, it has improved so much, when I go into a press conference now there are so many women and it’s not a big deal.

You have a daughter and a son, do you approach parenting the same with them both? What kind of message do you try to instil?

One of the things Shane and I would be strong on is equality – we treat them both the same. Luke was two years and 11 months when he cycled a bike without stabilisers so when Lily was that age, Shane was adamant that she do the same and she did. at may seem like a small thing, but it can make such a di erence in your kids’ lives because you’re treating them the same. ey obviously have di erent personalities and preferences, but we want to give them the same opportunities when it comes to schooling and sport or music.

You were a competitive basketball player; do you manage to keep up your own participation in sport with a busy work/life balance?

We’re better parents when we’re playing sport and sometimes mums give themselves a really hard time if they’re doing something that’s not focused on their children or the home. Going out and getting active is great for your mental and physical health. I went back playing basketball a couple of years ago and the moment I walked in I felt at home, it’s a couple of nights a week and it’s so important to me to do it.

ere was a distinct lack of sport during lockdown, was that very strange for you? It was so weird, especially when you build your life around it. I’m so used to live sport every day and suddenly it was just gone. I think we’re all aware that there’s a bigger picture, but sport gives people an escape and when that was gone, it was just a bit unsettling. I was supposed to be working on the Euros and the Olympics and hopefully they will happen next year, but for those of us who work in sport, you kind of plan your life around those cycles and when they’re suddenly taken away, you really miss them.

Girls Play Too by Jacqui Hurley

(Merrion Press) is available at bookshops nationwide.