KIERSTEN DUKE: Triple M’s Emma Lawrence being first play-by-play NRL caller is massive for the sport
Commentating was strictly men’s business for more than a century, now one woman is front and centre in the box.
Often there are moments in sport that feel bigger than the scoreboard.
Moments that powerfully shift the direction of a game. This happened just over a week ago when Emma Lawrence stepped behind the Triple M microphone to call the NRL clash between Cronulla and the Dolphins. It wasn’t just another broadcast, it was history being made.
Since the birth of the game, rugby league commentary boxes have been exclusively male spaces. In fact, only 17 per cent of sports journalists in Australia are female.
Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.That’s why Lawrence’s rise to become the first female play-by-play caller in the history of the rugby league matters so much. It’s more than a personal achievement for her, it’s an entire momentum shift in sporting culture.
Now usually this is the part of my column where I’d begin unleashing my opinions on the general public (sorry not sorry), but this week dear readers, you’ve got off scot-free. Because I thought what better way to capture this achievement than to speak to the star herself.
When Lawrence made her debut for Triple M it was described as a “landmark moment”, and rightly so. Around five years ago she was asked to write a column about some of her long-term goals. She toyed with a few ideas before writing down ‘commentate an NRL game’. A goal that she very nearly didn’t express.
Lawrence breaking through that barrier sends a powerful message. This game belongs to everyone.
“I was almost embarrassed to write it down because I thought people might laugh at me,” she admitted.
The play-by-play call is the heartbeat of any broadcast. It’s the voice that carries fans through every tackle, every break and every try.
To trust Lawrence with that responsibility speaks volumes about her ability, her preparation and of course the respect she commands across the game.
This isn’t respect she’s earned overnight, it’s taken an enormous amount of dedication.
“For about seven or eight seasons I’ve been working seven days a week juggling working in the newsroom, footy coverage and the radio,” Lawrence said.
When asked about the overall response she received from her debut call Lawrence revealed she was blown away by it all: “I underestimated what big of a deal it was to be the first woman. I didn’t expect to receive messages from women in the industry, even from different sports saying I was a role model and an inspiration. I almost found it a bit embarrassing because it was just so lovely. I would never have thought of myself as a role model.”
Somewhere, a young girl listening to the NRL for the first time will hear Lawrence’s voice and realise that role isn’t off-limits. That she too could be the one calling the big moments.
From a young age Lawrence had to put in the extra yards attending vocal coaching sessions to work on the tone of her voice. The feedback was that she sounded young and lacked authority. So, she rolled up her sleeves and got to work mastering the art of improving these areas while still sounding authentically herself.
This work ethic didn’t go unnoticed and it’s the reason she had the support of her colleagues going into her first NRL call. Triple M producer and head of NRL Charlie White played an enormous role in giving Lawrence the confidence to go for it. “I always thought I wanted to give it a crack, but it was Charlie who gave me the nudge,” she said. “He almost believed in me more than I believed in myself. All the boys, Aaron Woods, Wade Graham, James Graham, they all sat with me during their spare time to practice calling old games in the studio. They didn’t have to do that, they weren’t being paid to stay behind or come into work early.”
And it was this support system that held Lawrence steady when she faced some negative comments.
“Being a mum, I think of Harper and think OK well don’t let the opinion of a few people rattle you. I would think about what message I’d want to send to her, you’ve got to be strong and if you want to go after your goals and dreams do it and don’t worry about what other people think,” she said.
Rugby league has made genuine strides in recent years to grow the women’s game, particularly through the NRLW. Participation is up, visibility is up and young girls now have pathways that simply didn’t exist a decade ago. Yet the commentary box, the voice of the sport, had remained one of the final frontiers.
Lawrence breaking through that barrier sends a powerful message. This game belongs to everyone.
It also changes how the game is experienced. Diversity in commentary brings diversity in perspective. Different insights, different emphases, different storytelling. That doesn’t take anything away from the traditional voices, in fact I’d argue it adds to them and enriches the broadcast.
And perhaps most importantly, it creates a new generation of possibility.
Because progress in sport isn’t always measured in points or premierships. Sometimes, it’s measured in doors opening.
Emma Lawrence hasn’t just walked through one, she’s kicked it wide open.
