Maggie Alphonsi says women's sport has scope to keep growing

Former England rugby international Maggie Alphonsi has said women's sport cannot allow itself to stop growing after a period of accelerated progress in recent years.

Alphonsi was in Dublin on Tuesday for the Lidl National Football League season launch, taking part in a panel that discussed new research spotlighting the importance of developing and elevating Irish female sporting role models.

After bringing the curtain down on a brilliant playing career, Alphonsi moved into broadcasting. In 2015 she became the first ever former female player to commentate on a men's rugby game as part of ITV's World Cup coverage.

Speaking to RTÉ Sport, she talked up the forward strides women's sport has made generally, while stressing the collective need to keep pushing boundaries.

"I think the change and the pace has gone I guess at the right speed, but at the same time I think we're in the stage now where it’s accelerating, which has been great," said the Englishwoman.

"Now when we’re talking about broadcasters, there’s such a range of broadcasters out there, lots more women working in the industry. We’re now starting to see much more visibility of women’s sports – Gaelic football, women’s rugby, women’s cricket, women’s tennis – all of that, you’re now starting to see it. And the crowds are there, you know.

"So the pace has been good, I want to see it keep going. Maybe that’s the greed in me, but I truly believe that when it comes to women’s sport we cannot stop, we cannot accept where we currently are right now.

"It’s about ensuring that we get more people to come and watch women’s sport, be part of it, follow those athletes. It’s about getting good allies; we want to see more men, and women obviously, come and watch."

"Those athletes are