The Football Association of Wales (FAW) and broadcast partners BBC Cymru Wales marked the first year of their five-year broadcast partnership deal for Cymru’s international Women’s Football games at an event before the Cymru v Iceland game at Cardiff City Stadium on Friday, 1 December.
Business and sporting leaders from across Wales and beyond attended the event, entitled ‘With Her. For Her’, with each attendee invited to bring a future leader as a guest. The focus was firmly on supporting and encouraging the leaders of the future and guests were treated to a discussion by a panel of experts; Alys Carlton, the new and first female Chair of the FAW, Saffron Rennison, a referee and member of the Future Generations Leadership Academy and Sally Richardson, Senior Producer at BBC Sport who’s credits include Executive Producer at Wimbledon and Rugby League World Cup 2022. The panel discussion was chaired by BBC Sport Wales’s assistant editor, Laura Kenyon.
In the run-up to kick off, BBC Radio Wales presenter and reggae artist Aleighcia Scott ensured everyone was match-ready with a rendition of three songs from her latest album, Windrush Baby. The Rhumney-born Welsh/Jamaican artist has also recently presented on BBC Radio 1 Xtra.
Opening the event, Lowri Roberts, Head of Women’s and Girls’ Football at the Football Association of Wales outlined her vision for the event. She said: “It’s so important that our young people have access to fantastic women leaders, that they have visible role models they can shadow and who they can watch in action to see how they operate to help shape the type of leader they want to be. Which is why we decided to stage an event such as this in partnership with the BBC.”
In her closing remarks, Rhuanedd Richards, Director BBC Cymru Wales said: “As broadcast partners, we’ve worked hard with the FAW to promote the game and have seen audience figures treble over the last few years. We’ll continue to work together and ensure we amplify the women’s game along with brilliant contributions from our female commentators and presenters.”
The broadcast deal includes the European Championship campaign as well as the 2027 World Cup qualifying campaign. Cymru v Iceland was live on BBC One Wales. Cymru v Germany will be live on BBC Two Wales from 6pm.
