This Women in Sport webinar from AccountsIQ brings together voices from women’s rugby and triathlon in the UK and Ireland to explore how investment, visibility, leadership, and better data can improve outcomes for female athletes. Covering topics such as injury prevention, professionalism, athlete pathways, media representation, and sports technology, the session offers valuable insight for sports organisations, sponsors, and supporters who want to help grow women’s sport across Ireland, the UK, and beyond.

Webinar overview

In this special International Women’s Day 2026 webinar, AccountsIQ brings together athletes, practitioners, and women in sport leaders to discuss how better investment, better systems, and better visibility can drive stronger performance in women’s sport and in business.

Hosted by Elaine from AccountsIQ, the discussion features guests from Harlequins Women’s Rugby and Triathlon Ireland, including elite athletes, a physiotherapist, and a women in sport lead. Together, the panel explores some of the most important issues shaping women’s sport today, including health and injury prevention, professionalism, funding, access for young girls, media coverage, technology, and the future of female participation and performance.

This webinar is especially relevant for sports organisations, governing bodies, sponsors, business leaders, and anyone interested in women’s sport in the UK and Ireland.

What this webinar covers

The session opens with an introduction to the panel and the purpose of the conversation, which is held in recognition of International Women’s Day 2026. The discussion is framed around the theme of improving performance through better investment, stronger infrastructure, and more equitable access to resources and information.

The first topic focuses on health and performance in women’s sport. The panel discusses the widely reported increase in ACL injuries among female athletes and whether this is due to biological differences, training design, equipment, reporting standards, or simply increased visibility in the professional game. The speakers also examine wider injury patterns in different sports, including overuse injuries in triathlon and contact-related injuries in rugby.

The webinar then moves into investment and professionalism. The panel reflects on whether current levels of funding, medical support, staffing, and infrastructure are keeping pace with the rapid growth of women’s sport. There is a strong discussion around the role of sponsorship, government support, governing bodies, and strategic funding, as well as the reality that many female athletes still need second jobs while competing at a high level.

Another major theme is access and athlete pathways. The panel discusses why many girls disengage from sport in their teenage years and what can be done to improve retention. Topics include the importance of female coaches, visible role models, school and community pathways, youth leadership programmes, and making sport feel social, welcoming, and sustainable for young women.

The speakers also explore the role of media and representation. They discuss the rise in visibility of women’s sport, the progress made in coverage and public awareness, and the fact that many sports still rely heavily on major tournaments such as the Olympics or World Cups for exposure. The panel shares perspectives on how media visibility affects participation, athlete confidence, sponsorship, and long-term growth.

In the final part of the webinar, the conversation turns to data, performance insights, and technology. The speakers explain how tracking tools, performance systems, athlete monitoring, GPS load data, and female-specific health data are becoming more important in elite women’s sport. The discussion also touches on the need for better interpretation of data, more research focused specifically on women, and the risks of applying male-based training models to female athletes.

The webinar closes with reflections on the future of women’s sport and practical suggestions for how businesses, fans, and supporters can help drive change, from attending events and increasing sponsorship to amplifying stories, improving representation, and investing in female-specific pathways and systems.

Key topics discussed in the webinar

- International Women’s Day 2026 and women in sport

- Women’s sport in the UK and Ireland

- Health and performance in elite female athletes

- ACL injuries in women’s sport

- Injury prevention, recovery, and medical support

- Investment and professionalism in women’s rugby and triathlon

- Sponsorship and funding for female athletes

- Women’s leadership in sport

- Access and retention pathways for girls in sport

- Role models and progression routes for female athletes

- Media visibility and representation of women’s sport

- Social media and athlete storytelling

- Technology, tracking, and performance data in sport

- Female-specific training design and cycle tracking

- The future of women’s sport and how to support it

Detailed webinar breakdown

Introduction and panel welcome

Elaine from AccountsIQ introduces the webinar and explains that the discussion is being held to mark International Women’s Day 2026. She welcomes a panel made up of athletes and professionals from Harlequins Women’s Rugby and Triathlon Ireland, setting the stage for a conversation about sport, business performance, visibility, and investment.

Health and performance in women’s sport

The first discussion centres on health and performance, beginning with the topic of ACL injuries in female athletes. Sarah, a physiotherapist at Harlequins Women’s Rugby, explains that while injury rates are a real concern, improved visibility, greater professionalism, and better access to medical support may also make injuries more visible than before.

The panel discusses the possible causes behind injury risk, including anatomical, hormonal, neuromuscular, and training-related factors. The athletes also share their own experience of support systems, injury management, and the difference between elite and grassroots access to care.

Investment and professionalism

The conversation then shifts to the commercial and structural growth of women’s sport. Lizzie speaks about the progress made in women’s rugby, including larger crowds and increasing visibility, but also highlights that many female athletes still have to balance elite sport with other work.

Ruth and Eleanor add perspectives on sponsorship, public funding, and strategic governance. The panel explores how support should not only go into the elite end of sport but also into grassroots participation, leadership, officiating, and long-term athlete development. Triathlon Ireland shares examples of how targeted investment has improved female participation, leadership representation, and high-performance pathways.

Access and pathways for girls and young women

A major part of the webinar looks at why girls often drop out of sport during their teenage years. The panel discusses pressures from school, body confidence, social belonging, and the importance of creating environments where girls feel supported and motivated to stay involved.

Eleanor outlines how Triathlon Ireland has responded with targeted programmes for teenage girls, leadership development, and retention-focused initiatives. Lizzie, Holly, and Ruth all reflect on their own journeys into sport, showing how role models, supportive peers, coaches, and communities can make a lasting difference.

Role models and media representation

The webinar also explores how media coverage shapes both aspiration and access. The panel acknowledges that women’s sport has become more visible in recent years, but that there is still a long way to go. The discussion highlights the importance of not only showing results and competitions, but also telling the personal stories behind athletes and teams.

The speakers explain that media visibility helps validate women’s sport, build fan bases, attract sponsors, and inspire the next generation. At the same time, they note that athletes can sometimes find the increased media attention intimidating, even when it is positive and welcome.

Data, technology, and performance insights

In the final major topic, the panel looks at the role of data and technology in elite women’s sport. Sarah explains how data is used in rugby to track workloads, running loads, strength outputs, and injury risk, while coaches and analysts use game footage and performance metrics to support preparation and recovery.

Eleanor and Holly discuss the culture of data in triathlon, including rankings, race comparisons, wearable devices, and tools for tracking menstrual cycles and training load. The panel stresses that female athletes need more sports science designed specifically for women rather than relying on models built around men.

The speakers also note that technology is only useful when athletes and teams know how to interpret it properly. Better use of data, especially female-specific data, is presented as one of the most exciting areas for the future of women’s sport.

Supporting the future of women’s sport

The session closes with a practical conversation about what organisations, fans, and businesses can do to support women’s sport. Suggestions include buying tickets, attending games, increasing sponsorship, promoting women athletes on social media, investing in pathways and leadership, and recognising women’s sport as valuable in its own right rather than only in comparison to men’s sport.

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Want to learn more about how better systems, insights, and performance data can support organisations in sport and beyond? Get in touch with AccountsIQ to explore how the right information can drive better decisions.

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