Rikki Swannell: 'Everybody is always going to have an opinion on a commentator'
I kind of fell into commentary. I trained as a broadcast journalist and worked in sports radio for years with a station who had a lot of live sport. Sky NZ picked me up initially to do netball and then tennis, and then I branched into other sports until I reached rugby.
I’d done pitch side on Super Rugby and a couple of All Blacks Tests for radio but I never set out to become a commentator, and it’s now my main job! For many years I juggled a job as a sports editor, reporter and news reader in radio with TV work at Sky on the weekends, before deciding to start freelancing at the end of 2016. World Rugby got in touch a year later.
I think back to the early days in radio, I was aware I was the only woman in the room but too young to realise what that meant or perhaps what was going on around me. I’d wanted to be a sports journalist all my life, so it was a case of get your head down and figure it out later.
I have experienced some uncomfortable environments, but never at the hands of players or coaches in any sport. Going into cricket commentary was very challenging and probably not well handled by some of the decision makers, which put me and a lot of other women in awkward and difficult positions. I asked to be taken off cricket. it wasn’t naturally my game to call anyway but at the time I was also about to cover the Winter Olympics, Commonwealth Games and start on Super Rugby so I felt over-exposed and I just didn’t need it. You can’t be that good at all of them.
From my very first day, the sevens crew at World Rugby have been amazing to me. The guys have always treated me as their equal and I’ve never been seen by them as ‘token’ which I think was certainly the view in some quarters in New Zealand.
Everybody is always going to have an opinion on a commentator, it happens to the guys as much as it happens to women, but criticism of me always comes back to gender. If I stuff up someone’s name, I’ve just stuffed it up, but for some people, especially early, I’d made a mistake because I was just a stupid woman who shouldn’t be there in the first place, whereas a guy can stuff that up and not have something levelled at them in that way.
Because I’ve been around media for so long in New Zealand, I wasn’t intimidated by going into male dominated commentary environments – I’ve worked with so many people in this industry over the years and I was confident in my ability as a broadcaster – but it was the external factors, the social media side that I needed to push away from.
There will always be people who don’t see this as the space for women but social media gives them a cloak of bravery that they think they can say anything to anyone. Refs, players and coaches cop horrific abuse that no one should have to deal with, and it’s a sad indictment that I consider myself lucky not to have received anything “that bad”.
Now that the Rugby World Cup 2023 squads are starting to be announced I can finally get out of the holding pattern I’ve been in. I basically do a background sheet on every team, just a whole lot of bullet points around some of the basics so I don’t have to go scratching around at the last minute. I always fall down the rabbit hole when I’m preparing and I get a lot of grief about the neatness of my hand-writing and the way things need to be laid out perfectly, but I like to be quite regimented in my prep – it gives me confidence that I’ve done the work even though I only use about a quarter of it!
Prep for game day is different. My team sheets are laid out in formation with hand-written info alongside and I like facts as opposed to heaps of stats, what a player’s story is. I have a real mixture of teams I’ll be calling in France, including three All Blacks games, which I’ve never done before. They’re the team I’m least worried about though – it’s New Zealand, everyone knows everyone so I don’t have to think too hard about identifying Beauden Barrett on the field, whereas I’m going to be seeing some of the players from Namibia and Chile for first time on the pitch. You need to look for distinguishing features such a pink boots or headgear.
I’m lucky being a New Zealander as I’m used to Maori or Pasifika names, and although Fijian names are a little more challenging and I have to think them through, it’s slightly easier for me. However, I don’t speak Spanish or French so that’s harder with those teams….and sometimes an English sounding name is said completely differently to what you think!
What I love about women’s rugby is it feels like I’m contributing to something a bit bigger. Trying to grow the profile of the women, getting people excited about it and finding out what we know about these amazing women.
The same goes for sevens. Everyone knows the All Blacks players and it’s a career highlight to cover them this World Cup, but I love the camaraderie in the women’s game and the welcome, the way people treat you. Not to say that the men’s game isn’t, but it’s slightly different and has that accessible grass roots element because it’s been such a battle with them for so long to get recognition. I feel like I contribute to that a little bit more than the men’s game.
I also feel within women’s and sevens rugby that there’s this untapped well of stories and people and personalities, and everyone loves a story! Finding out about all the teams and players and their background stories is such a highlight and something the game thrives off.
Swannell was speaking to RugbyPass’ Lucy Lomax
Comments on RugbyPass
Fiji deserve to be in the rugby championship, fans love seeing the Fijian national team play, the Fijian Drua is a wonderful idea but the players can still be stolen to play for NZ and AUS…
1 Go to commentsThe first concern for this afternoon are wheather forecast…
1 Go to commentsWhy cant I watch Rugby games please?
1 Go to commentsBeautiful shot from Finau, end of story. Gutted for Shaun Stevenson though.
4 Go to commentsThe Chiefs definitely didn’t win ugly. They had the superior scrum, a dominant lineout, and their defence was excellent once the Waratahs scored their two tries (thanks to some lucky refereeing calls mind you). They put pressure on the Waratahs lineout throughout the game, and the mind boggles as to why the referee did not award a yellow card or a penalty try against the Waratahs for repeated scrum infringements on their own try line before Narawa’s first try. And the Chiefs were slick with their passing and running angles on attack. It was a dominant performance all round, even with many questionable refereeing decisions.
1 Go to commentsWasnt late. Ref 2 assistants andTMO all saw it so who are you to say it was?
4 Go to commentsAre the Brumbies playing the Blues twice in a row?
4 Go to commentsBig difference from the Saders. Forwards really muscled up and laid a solid platform. Scooter brought some steel and I liked the loosie combination. Newell has been rather disappointing this season but stepped up big time - happy also to see Franks dot down. He should do that more often! Reihana had a good game and there seems to be more flair and invention with him in the saddle. McNicoll plays well from the back and is reliable plus inventive when he joins the line. Keep it up chaps!
3 Go to comments🤦♂️🤣 who cares who’s the best . All I know is the All Blacks have the star coach but have few star players now …
33 Go to commentsJe suis sûr que Farrell est impatient de jouer avec Lopez et Machenaud et d’être entraîné par Collazo… 🤭
1 Go to commentsAn on field red (aka a full red) in SRP must surely carry a bigger suspension than a red card given by the bunker as that carries a 20 minute team punishment. Had Damon Murphy abdicated his responsibility as a ref and issued both Drua players a yellow, which would have been upgraded to a 20 minute red by the bunker, that would have killed Australia and New Zealand’s push for the 20 minute red to be trialled globally from July this year.
11 Go to commentsEver so often you all post a Danny Care story that isn’t the announcement that he has finally re-signed for one more, victory tour season at Quins and I’m just like, “well you fooled me again!” My absolute favorite player ever, we need to make his final year at the Stoop (and Twickers) official already. I know he supposedly snubbed France but I won’t feel better until he signs.
1 Go to commentslate hit what late hit it wasn’t at all late and can clearly see he was committed before the tackle
4 Go to commentsChristian Lio -Willies 2 try perfomance was a standout. As was captain Scott Barrett. Up front was where the boys won it.They are a great team and players. Fantastic Crusaders , you can keep going.
3 Go to commentsI don't know how the locals feel about that? I guess if you call yourselves the Worcester Wasps that might be appease. But really we need more teams in the Premiership in my view so they are not padding it out as they are at the moment. It might curtail so many players going abroad as well
5 Go to commentsNZ 😭😭😭is certainly rivaling England for best whingers cup!😭😭😭 !!!
33 Go to commentsYup. New Zealand won 3 out of 10 world cups played. SA 4 out of 8 attempts 30 Vs 50 per cent.🤔🤔
33 Go to commentsShould've done this years ago. Change Saturday kick off times to around 11am. Up and off and back home before 3pm, limit travel time too. Allows players to actually do something else with their Saturday that's family oriented or being rugby fans they could ‘watch’ pro rugby. Increases crowds etc. How can anyone that enjoys grassroots and pro rugby have to choose between the two on Saturdays?
9 Go to commentsI bet he inspired those supporters just as much.
1 Go to commentsBen Smith Springboks living rent free in his head 😊😂
67 Go to comments