67 percent of the Irish population believe there would be greater hype if it was the Men’s rather than the Women’s football team that were playing in a World Cup Finals this year.
Research from iReach Insights, commissioned by Carlsberg 0.0, also reveals that 55 percent believe that Women’s sport should receive equal broadcast opportunities to Men’s and that twice as many people watch Men’s sport in a pub setting as watch Women’s.
In a bid to shift that perception, Carlsberg 0.0 has teamed up with the FAI and Republic of Ireland footballer and ambassador, Stephanie Roche and sports bar, The Square Ball in Dublin to unveil ‘The GIG’ – Ireland’s first women’s sports bar to support the Girls In Green.
Marking the 50th anniversary of the Republic of Ireland Women’s first international match against Wales, played on the 13th May 1973, The GIG will open on 12th – 14th May, featuring memorabilia and imagery from past glories of the Republic of Ireland women’s national team and showcase female sport across the weekend, including fixtures from matchday 10 of the League of Ireland Women’s Premier Division.
Despite being the first-ever Irish team to qualify for a Women’s World Cup, and with 40 percent of adults saying they will watch the team, only 13 percent of Irish adults think the Republic of Ireland’s Women’s football team deserves the title of Team of the Year*.
Carlsberg 0.0’s research into the sports viewing habits of Irish people revealed that 57% believe that increased broadcast visibility of women’s sport would play a key role in shifting the dial on women’s sport. Despite 59% believing that big women’s sports occasions should be shown in pubs, 76% of those who watch men’s sport have watched it in a pub versus a disappointing 49% for those who watch women’s sport in a pub.
Significant progress has been made by the FAI to improve the perception and accessibility of the women’s game including broadcast deals with all women’s national team matches broadcast on RTÉ, the Women’s Premier Division on LOITV and an additional broadcast deal with TG4. Qualification for the FIFA Women’s World Cup represents an opportunity to build on this further and increase visibility.
In addition to screening a selection of women’s sport, ‘The GIG’, open to the public across the weekend, will play host to visiting female sports personalities and offer fans the chance to avail of a complimentary pint of Carlsberg 0.0 or Carlsberg Lager over the three days by receiving a token from staff on arrival**. There will also be a chance to win a new Women’s National Team Jersey as well as tickets to the Republic of Ireland’s Women’s World Cup warm up fixtures.
“We’re on a mission to increase support for the women’s game kicking off by celebrating the team’s 50th anniversary with our partners the FAI,” said Linda Bradley, Head of Beers, Diageo Ireland.
“We created ‘The GIG’ to highlight that women’s sport shouldn’t need its own bar, and we’re looking forward to working with our trade partners and sports fans this summer to give as many people as possible the chance to support the team, rewarding them for having the best taste in 0.0 beer and sports teams.”
“Carlsberg is one of our longest-standing partners and we’re excited to see how we can work together to enhance the incredible occasion for our women’s team and our fans this summer,” added FAI Commercial Director Sean Kavanagh.
“The research reflects the appetite for women’s sport and the opportunity we have as sports advocates to work together to continue to grow the game.”
The research was conducted in the second week of April this year.
