'Imagine everyone who went to one men’s game went to one women’s game?'

More than 40pc of participants in sport are now female, but women’s sport makes up just 4pc of media coverage. So just how do we create an equal playing field?

Derval O'Rourke: We all need to challenge ourselves to make more of an effort

Mags Cremen and Aoife Casey are a team: That much is apparent right away. Sitting side by side on the sofa after training, they don’t quite finish each other’s sentences as hand off seamlessly to one another as they talk about their stellar year in rowing. Having won bronze in the lightweight women’s double sculls at the 2022 World Rowing Championships in Czechia, the 23-year-olds are part of a stellar new wave of young Irish sportswomen.

“It’s a really good omen that we have our bronze medal from this world championship, but we’re even more hungry now to improve on that placing,” says Casey.