Anything they can do, we can do better!
This year has seen Ireland’s female athletes excel on the global stage – with amazing performances from Rachael Blackmore, Natalya Coyle, Sanita Puspure, Ciara Mageean and Ellen Keane to name but a few – and our domestic games drawing record crowds.
And 2019 has also been a year that’s seen a lot of welcome conversation and debate about women’s sport.
In a quest to become as valued and supported as men’s sport is, female athletes and their sports associations have had to defend themselves against the criticism that their games are simply not as good as men’s games. While many will concede that, in the majority of disciplines, women’s sport is not at the same level as men’s – how could it possibly be when it’s not funded or resourced to the same level? – there is universal objection to the notion that female athletes are lacking in skill.
Like, seriously, how could anyone who has seen Katie Taylor in action ever think that?
So, the 20×20 campaign – proudly supported by Her and SportsJOE – decided to take aim at this assertion and provide overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Last month, they put out a call to players, athletes and sports lovers to Show Their Skill. The response was amazing, with videos being posted from across the country of girls and women from different sports, ages and levels showing what they’ve got.
Watch the video below, led by Dublin camogie star and campaign ambassador Laura Twomey, for a taster of the skills that will answer the question for once and all – and will inspire a new generation of women in sport to hone their own skills.
