Almost 60% of Irish people have never attended women's sports event

Emma Duggan (Meath), Kerry captain Síofra O’Shea and Dublin's Carla Rowe join Lidl Ireland to launch a campaign to ‘Get Behind the Fight ’ as the 2024 Lidl NFL kicks off this weekend. 

NEARLY 60% of Irish people admit they have never attended a live women's sporting event in this country, new research shows.

The findings, described as 'stark', also reveal that Irish people are five times more likely to attend a premier men’s event in person than an equivalent premier female event, with almost half (46%) saying that men’s sport is generally better to watch. And 59% of Irish people said they would prefer to watch men’s sport on TV than attend a live female sporting event.

The research, commissioned by Ladies Football National League sponsors Lidl and carried out by Red C in December, indicates that while 42% of people stated an interest in attending a female sporting event and three quarters (74%) thought it a shame that people don’t attend, nearly six in ten (59%) admitted they hadn't attended a live female sporting event. Only 29% said they had never attended a live men’s event.

Of the 25% of the population who do attend live female sporting events, 57% are more likely to be male compared to 43% femaie. Parents of participating children are also more active in attending female fixtures.

Lidl CEO J.P. Scally said the research revealed some pretty stark perceptions about female sport in Ireland and their campaign aim is to tackle those head on and break through the bias. They will launch a campaign Wednesday to ‘Get Behind the Fight’ and support live female sport.

"This campaign is about accelerating a process of change in our society as our female athletes deserve support week in week out. It’s not just about turning up for our sisters, daughters and partners, it’s about creating a new wave of support for the next generation to drive on the game.” 

LGFA president Mícheál Naughton, added: “The findings are certainly revealing and it’s now incumbent on people to get behind the fight and ensure greater attendances at our fixtures in 2024. It’s an exciting year for the LGFA as we celebrate our 50th anniversary in July."

Lack of media coverage is perceived to negatively affect public awareness and support, with some 40% stating this as a reason for non-attendance at live women’s events. Almost two thirds (65%) of people think women’s sport does not get enough media coverage in Ireland and 83% agree that men’s sport is covered more comprehensively.

Other barriers to attending female sports events included venues not being easy to get to (37%), not knowing anyone that is playing (34%) and ticket prices being too high (34%) but perceptions and unconscious bias around women’s sport in Ireland continue to be key barriers.

Almost half of Irish people (46%) believe that men’s sport is generally better to watch than women’s sport. Whilst Irish people perceive women’s sports in Ireland to be high quality and skilful, they think it’s less exciting or competitive than men’s sports and over a third (38%) think that the standard of play isn’t high enough to justify attendance at live matches.

A Ladies football conference on Wednesday will probe the issues

Establishing connections with individual sports stars is seen to be a key driver of support but half of people think there is a lack of Irish female sporting heroes. When asked which Irish female sports stars they can name, almost half of respondents said Katie Taylor, having recently been awarded ‘Ireland’s Most Admired’ sportsperson for the seventh consecutive year, however less than one in 10 people were able to name any other Irish female sporting stars unprompted.

The current record for attendance at a female sporting event in Ireland is 56,114 supporters who attended the 2019 TG4 All Ireland Ladies Gaelic Football finals while the record for attendance at a women’s soccer international match was set in 2023, with 35,944 spectators. However, outside of showcase events, attendance figures are not consistently strong for female sporting events.

The Lidl-LGFA campaign to increase attendances comes as the Lidl National League campaign counts down to kick off. There are fixtures in Division 4 next Sunday before the top flight campaign starts on January 20, with an All-Ireland final repeat between Dublin and Kerry at Parnell Park, live on TG4. 

Wednesday's launch coincides with a conference on driving attendance at female sports events. Lindsay Peterson, Director of Operations, Nebraska Volleyball at the University of Nebraska and Holly Murdock, Head of Operations, Women’s Professional Game at the English FA will speak.

The Huskers set the world record for attendance at a female sports event with 92,003 attending a female college volleyball match in August 2023 whilst the English FA has had repeated success is delivering record crowds at female events such as the 77,390 who attended last year’s Women’s FA Cup Final and the 87,192 who attended the Euro22 Final between England and Germany.

Said Peterson: “We saw first-hand with Volleyball Day in Nebraska what can be accomplished when female sports are given an opportunity. Selling out a football stadium with a crowd of 92,003 for a women’s college volleyball match is a huge deal. We saw all over the country this past season, volleyball programs were setting record attendances and breaking TV ratings records frequently. We need to continue to invest in women’s athletics and support our female athletes. We took a big step forward this past year, and the future is very bright.” 

Holly Murdock, Head of Operations, Women’s Professional Game at the English FA said, “It has been incredible to see the growth of the women’s professional game in recent years, with the hard work of everybody across our clubs and leagues coming to fruition in the shape of the record-breaking attendances we have been seeing across the board.

“Whether it’s over 59,000 at the Emirates Stadium, 43,000 at Old Trafford or 14,000 at Ashton Gate, these attendances have seen history made over the course of the last few seasons.

“As far as we have come, we are under no illusions that this is only the beginning of our journey and the hard work will continue to ensure that the women’s game flourishes and our fanbase grows, with the aim being to see those records tumble in the years to come.” 

Said Dublin All-Ireland winner and Lidl ambassador Carla Rowe: “As a player, having fans in the stands makes a world of difference. It’s not just about the support, it's about creating an atmosphere that fuels the passion for the game. Making a collective effort to celebrate and elevate women in sports, from grassroots to the elite level will change the game for all of us.”