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
Hamish Bidwell is always complaining about something.
62 Go to commentsJacko the problem for the ABs was they had four backs from the Chiefs who could best be described as journeymen none of whom made a clean break all night long.
However to be fair they're not helped by having a number 10 who has been on the losing side in four of the last five super rugby finals.
I venture to say a record which is unlikely to be ever beaten.
Perhaps it's time to change your name again.
96 Go to commentsBecause it’s an acknowledgment of the different cultures within Australian rugby that make a huge contribution to the code now and historically, it helps fill out the tour roster and has a team that will get a good fan base from a large population not always given acknowledgment over the years , nothing wrong with that right?
3 Go to commentsWorld rugby does not allow a nation, or a club to field a sevens team if they do not field a fifteens team. The reason behind this is that Word Rugby does not want the fast food money making sevens to be a total alternative to the roots of rugby essential game. There is going to come a time when World Rugby will have to make a call on whether the club game takes precedent over the ultimate intention of world wide rugby, which is international competition. Otherwise why have a world wide regulatory body? The French Controlling body of Rugby Union requires every rugby player to be registered to a club. The players themselves if they were given a choice would choose to play for France against the All Blacks for the chance to do what only South Africa and Ireland have done and that is to beat New Zealand in a rugby test series in New Zealand. What is lacking in this equation is French Rugby balls (and World Rugby balls). If World Rugby is to continue to exist as a concept played with the same rules and ethos worldwide, it must bring the French clubs into line or cut them out, which I think is the preferred outcome both for World Rugby and the French Clubs.
92 Go to commentsThe aus under 20s match was probably the rugby highlight of the weekend!
148 Go to commentsVery willing. I saw him carry lots but you are right he isn’t built like Aki. It did look like we’ve taken a world class 13 out of his position where he is less effective.
148 Go to commentsAside from JAS I felt we ignored the lessons of the brumbies/tahs efforts…and handed the ball to the Lions in our own half. Seemed to invite the Lions to show their strengths. Would like to think an improved test in Melbourne could see a wallabies win but the game was over pretty early in brissy
148 Go to commentsMy goodness I came here to read comments from so called knowledgeable people and instead have arrived at a children’s play ground filled with kids so petty and bitter from both sides. Shame on Rugby Pass for allowing such drivel.
71 Go to commentsHey Finn. Possibly one of the worst written and conceived pieces of published material I have ever read. Absolute rubbish - and with absolutely no foundation other than you have to write something to get paid. But take heart. Somewhere at some university some long suffering lecturer is going to trot this out and say - hey people - this is the absolute rock bottom of your profession. Just ask yourself:”What exactly was my motivation in writing this?'“
1 Go to commentsDay 2,087 as World Champions and another 700+ before the next one. This is the only ranking that matters.
71 Go to commentsWhat is seriously entertaining is 1. JG 2 JC 3 ff what these people don’t see is the irony that they are exactly the same people in different disguises. Guys please keep posting and please don’t ever get more educated- you are the most entertaining reading free since Post.
71 Go to commentsI thought we loved rugby in NZ, until I arrived in Castres. Every bar, cafe and restaurant in the town square had Castres jerseys or posters and photos on their walls or on the windows. And I loved the way all the locals walked together from the centre of Castres to Stade Pierre-Antoine. Outstanding.
96 Go to commentsor I’m good at baiting him?
I enjoy talking about rugby, and am very happy to talk to him. He seems to be having an emotional crisis about it, which isn’t my concern.
71 Go to commentsIll also say, I think Ardie has his best games when he has another power runner as a foil
135 Go to commentsI’d like the boks to win. And I’m sure the ABs won’t necessarily be sleeping well themselves - they know what they’re up against.
I’m just playing it safe for my own emotional wellbeing. In reality, the difference between the top sides (and especially these two sides of recent) has come down to home ground advantage.
If the Boks do manage to win both tests - it would probably be the boks greatest achievement in the modern era. When last did a Bok side win a series (albeit a two match series) in New Zealand? 1937.
Rarer than World Cups.
And when last did anyone beat the ABs at Eden Park? It’s going to be tough, not impossible, and if anyone can do it, it’s this group.
But the safe money is on the ABs winning both. Tight margins. The boks bring the best out of the ABs (and vice versa) and reading too much into their wins against the French special needs, F team, is not going to count for much. We looked rusty against the Italians and the Georgian A team ourselves.
Unless of course we pay off the refs and/or World Rugby again. Bring Suzy along with her chemistry set. Or an AB player gets sent off for innocently, and accidently on purpose, tackling one of our players in the face with his head (or tries to break Bongi Mbonambi’s knee).
Then we’re in with a shout!
71 Go to commentsWhat sort of numbers are u talking about? This u20s? All time? All kiwi rep teams? …May I remind u of Matfield with the massive forearm guard from behind after the pass had well gone knocking Byron Kelleher out cold , not that I was unhappy to see Byron not on the paddock anymore 😂
29 Go to commentsEngland fan here, long suffering of course. Seen us beat up by the Boks on way, way too many occasions. Looking forward to watching ABs v Boks in September, is it?
Even if the rankings are closing on paper, the Boks are a fearsome team which only seem to get better with every match.
71 Go to comments
Not if they play like they did against France C team. That wont keep any Bok players awake at night, mate.
71 Go to commentsAnd you keep replying to those comments. So clearly he’s pretty successful at baiting you.
71 Go to commentsexactly my thoughts …. is Campese questioning the dedication and loyalty to the job (i.e. professionalism) of Schmidt? …. well, the Irish don't seem to complain
8 Go to comments