Jacqui Hurley stands among the most influential and recognisable figures in Irish sport — a trailblazer in broadcasting, advocacy, and representation. As the presenter of RTÉ’s flagship programme The Sunday Game, she has become one of the defining voices of Irish sport, leading coverage of GAA championships with authority, insight, and a fresh, modern energy that continues to elevate the visibility of women in sports media.
Her broadcasting career spans radio and television, including her historic appointment as the first woman to present Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1 at just 25. In 2025, she further expanded her influence as the host of Inside Sport, a new daily sports programme on RTÉ One introduced as part of the broadcaster’s schedule revamp — underscoring her status as one of the network’s most trusted and dynamic presenters.
Before her media career, Jacqui was an accomplished athlete, representing Cork in camogie and Ireland in basketball. That competitive background has shaped her understanding of sport from the inside, giving her a voice rooted in both professionalism and lived experience.
Outside the studio, Jacqui is an active campaigner for equality and participation. She plays a leading role in national initiatives, such as Golf Ireland’s Women in Sport Day, inspiring women to engage in sport at all levels. She is also the author of the bestselling Girls Play Too children’s book series, which celebrates Irish female athletes and encourages the next generation to dream bigger.
Jacqui Hurley’s influence lies not just in what she presents, but in how she shapes the conversation — using her platform to spotlight women’s sport, drive participation, and change perceptions. She is a communicator, advocate, and leader who continues to redefine the role of women in Irish sport and media.
She is the fourth of this year’s New Entrants to our list for 2025
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Previously Listed
Dr Una May, Moira Aston, Mary O’Connor, Michelle Carpenter, Brenda O’Donnell, Sarah Keane, Karen Coventry, Michelle Tanner, Mary McAleese, Rosie Barry, Sinead Hosey, Laura Heffernan
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This is the 13th edition of the Sport for Business listing of 50 Women of Influence in Irish Sport in partnership once more with our friends at AIG.
We began this journey in 2013, when we were challenged to produce a list of 20 Influential Women in Irish Sport. The 20 stretched to 30, then 40 and 50, and it still does not do justice to the talent out there.
Substantial progress has been made during this time. The Government, mindful of the importance and need for gender equity, challenged Irish sporting bodies to achieve a 60/40 gender split on their main boards or leadership entities by the end of 2023
Internationally, the gender split in doctors ranges from 46 per cent female in New Zealand to 48 per cent in the UK, 52 per cent in France, and 54 per cent in the United States. Sport has, for too long, lagged.
The gender gap in participation is targeted to be non-existent by 2027, and the profile of our elite athletes is as high for Katie Taylor, Katie McCabe, Rhasidat Adeleke and Leona Maguire as it is for the best of our men.
We are nearing the point where sport is sport regardless of gender.
The gap remains too big in media, sponsorship, attendance, and funding, but it is only by highlighting the wrongs that we can make them right.
This year’s list will again draw from all the multiple areas that make up sport. From the fields of play to the corridors of power, from the boardroom to the studio, and from every corner of the country.
We will divide the list into the CEO Club, the Influencers, and the Sponsors Lounge. the Administrators and others
This year, once again, we will challenge ourselves to generate at least 40 per cent of new entrants to ensure that fresh recognition is given to those making a mark.
This will mean some who fully deserve to remain stepping aside but that is part of what influence and leadership is about and they are in no way diminished by their not being on the list this year.
The list we will build over the coming weeks is a snapshot of women who are changing the way sport is played, consumed, grown, and delivered.
They are part of making the role of women in sport unexceptional by being exceptional in what they do.
Recognition of their contribution is rarely asked for but is entirely deserved, and we want your help in identifying those who you feel should be among them.
So, who else do you think should be on the list for 2025?
Image Credit: Aviva and Sportsfile
Further Reading for Sport for Business members:
Read our Sport for Business Coverage of Women in Sport
SPORT FOR BUSINESS Upcoming Events
November 20th – Playing for the Planet – A new event focused on Sustainability in Sport with the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport
December 9th – Our 12th Annual Women in Sport Conference in partnership with Lidl.
January – The Sporting Year Ahead 2026 in partnership with Teneo.
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