KIERSTEN DUKE: Anna McGann’s viral Canterbury TikTok post shows money to be made in female psort

Prior to the Women’s Rugby World Cup, Ireland’s Anna McGann posted a TikTok doing fun outfit changes of the kit Canterbury sent the team.

One of the outfits highlighted was appropriately named “comfies” and featured a hunter green fleece detailing a purple and berry marble effect.

The TikTok post went viral, racking up 372,000 views with fans infatuated with the design and demanding Canterbury release the fleece for public purchase.

Fans didn’t just flood the comments on social media, but they took to the stands in the Ireland-Japan game, holding up homemade signs imploring Canterbury to “release the fleece”.

The tongue-in-cheek campaign using with the hashtag #ReleaseTheFleece, which trended on social media, made enough of a ripple that the brand was forced to respond.

Canterbury made a deal with the fans. If they were able to get McGann to 15,000 followers they would “release the fleece”.

McGann is at 22,000 followers and Canterbury worked hard to hold up its end of the bargain, desperately producing a tonne of women’s fleeces.

Within an hour of going on sale it had sold out of every size from small to triple XL.

This is a real time case study of the marketability and commercial power of women’s sports and the athletes who participate. What’s incredible is that just a single post on a female athlete’s social media page caused the sellout of a product for a major brand such as Canterbury.

It’s a prime example of the sheer power of not just women’s sport and female athletes, but an example to all brands and sponsors that investing is hugely beneficial to their brand.

Statistically, fans of women’s sports are twice as likely to buy from a female athlete as opposed to other influencers because they’re viewed as trustworthy.

So, with this in mind, why is Australia so behind the eight ball when it comes to backing our girls?

Just last week we saw French luxury fashion brand Louis Vuitton announce its official partnership with Real Madrid’s female squad.

Now I’m not saying we need a designer deal backing an NRLW team, but I am saying that it would make sense for Australia’s own sunscreen brand Naked Sundays to sponsor the Broncos and protect our girl’s skin from harmful rays in the Queensland heat.

Or for make-up brand MCoBeauty to team up with the Cronulla Sharks as they celebrate a big win at Northies.

The Sydney Roosters girls are regularly spotted on social media taking a dip at their local Bondi Beach, how long is it until Seafolly swimwear offers even just a paid collaboration for the season?

I’m sure this article will spark the usual argument I hear that NRLW isn’t big enough for brands to see value in working with them. Well respectfully, Ireland has a population of 5.38 million, while Australia’s is 27.2 million.

The women’s Irish rugby union team had the clout to cause a sellout in a product for a major brand.

Australia has more than five times the number of eyes on their teams so you can see what I’m getting at here.

The time for excuses stops now.

The time for brands to back our girls starts.