In this instalment of our Women in Sport series, Anna McGann shares her sporting inspirations, goals and proudest achievements.
Anna McGann is a 27-year-old professional rugby player for Ireland who also set up her own business, Chaos The Label, in 2024. She has emerged as a standout talent in Irish rugby, starring in the 2025 Six Nations with a memorable hat-trick against Italy.
Anna was named Try of the Year at the Rugby Players Ireland Awards for her explosive pace and finishing skill. Known for her speed and instinct at fullback, she’s been a key presence in both the Ireland XVs and Sevens setups. Off the pitch, Anna is celebrated for her resilience and leadership, especially after returning from a serious ACL injury.
Earliest sporting memory?
My earliest sporting memory is winning a gold medal in the 50m sprint when I was five in my mum’s hometown in Rosemount, Tipperary. There’s a picture of little Anna with her medal that was put in the local newspaper, and mum and dad loved it so much that they got it printed and framed.
How did you become involved in rugby?
I’m from a big sporting family; my parents are very sporty, so all of my older siblings naturally played sport too. My parents really saw the importance and value of having us involved in sport, so I joined everything from athletics to hockey to GAA. Basically, anything my sister did, I wanted to do too!
What message would you like to share with young women and girls interested in pursuing a career as an athlete?
It’s going to be tough, but it’s so worth it. If it’s something you really want to do, surround yourself with people who will support you and don’t ever give up. It’s okay to have bad days and down days, but if your underlying thought process is ‘this is what I want’, then you won’t let anything stop you.
Proudest moment so far…
Either my first cap for Ireland 15s because all of my family were supporting me, including my dad, or helping the Ireland 7s team qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The female athlete I admire most is…
Lucy Mulhall, former Ireland 7s captain. She’s someone I admire both on and off the pitch. On the pitch, she’s the hardest worker and the calmest voice – she gives everybody energy. Off the pitch, she’s the most incredible person. She’s a ‘person before an athlete’ type person, which is an incredible trait to have, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without her. She’s like a big sister to me, even still now that she’s retired and I’m still playing.
Favourite sporting memory…
The moment Ireland 7s qualified for the Paris Olympics. That’s a feeling I don’t think I’ll ever experience again, knowing how much went into achieving qualification over the past 8-10 years. Also, the week of celebrating after… that was great craic!
Do you think there is still a stigma around women in sport?
Yeah, I do think there is, but it’s definitely getting better. My thought process towards it is to not give time to those who openly speak negatively about women’s sport – you’ll never be able to make them interested. For me, it’s instead about building the fan base of people who actually just haven’t happened to watch women’s sport or don’t really have an opinion on it. They’re usually the ones that go ‘oh, there isn’t a difference really, it’s just sport at the end of the day’.
I do think our male counterparts could have a huge impact on attitudes to women’s sport too; they’re massive role models for men and women, both young and old, and they therefore have massive leverage over changing the women’s game.
The upcoming Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 is going to really help shift perceptions and attitudes towards women’s rugby and sport. It’s going to be great for capturing new fans, and we really want as many full stadiums as possible, as it makes such a difference when we have crowds cheering and supporting us. Even cheering for the other team – it helps motivate us – so I really encourage everyone to get tickets while they’re still available. We want to see loads of people joining our Green Wave, which is the IRFU’s nationwide movement to grow the game and celebrate women’s rugby.
There’s also going to be so many powerful personalities on display, and I’m really excited to see the legacy and inspiration that it leaves behind, especially back here in Ireland.
What is the biggest barrier to driving visibility in women’s sports?
It’s probably funding or opportunity. I think it’s quite obvious that if you give us the opportunity of bigger stadiums and TV coverage, people will fill the seats, and people will watch it if it’s on the main channels. We are being given more opportunities now, which we’re very grateful for, but there’s a lot more room for growth.
The World Cup will be huge for driving visibility in women’s sport. It’s a record-breaking tournament, the biggest ever celebration of women’s rugby, and a powerful movement which is set to transform the game for women and girls globally. It’s going to be a real showcase of not only world-class rugby, but the values of rugby and all the sport has to offer off the pitch. There are so many big fixtures, including our clashes with Japan, Spain, and reigning champions New Zealand, so I really encourage everyone to get tickets and come and see it for themselves. We also have three home games next year in the Six Nations and we’d love as many fans as possible to come and watch us then too.
The biggest stigma that exists in women’s sport is…
That it’s a bad watch or less skilled than the men’s counterpart. If people commit to watching a game, they’ll probably be surprised at how entertaining and skilful it is.
If I wasn’t an athlete, I would be…
I’m a business owner as well as an athlete, so if I didn’t play sport, I probably would be a full-time business owner!
My favourite pre-match meal is…
Pancakes and berries!
My pre-match playlist includes…
Casper Walsh, Kendrick Lamar, 50 Cent, AC/DC… the list goes on!
My daily routine is…
On a training day, it’s fairly similar. Up at 6:00, into training for 7:45, breakfast and coffee at 8:00, meeting at 9:00, on the pitch at 10:00, in the gym at 13:00, lunch at 14:30/15:00, home for 17:00 to walk my dog, and then finally do some work for the evening on my business.
My biggest sporting goal is…
To make a World Cup squad and the Olympics.
Biggest splurge to celebrate a win…
I don’t think I have splurged on anything mad after a win! But I usually just like to spend on making memories with the people I love, whether it’s friends or family.
How do you mind your mental health?
It’s something that’s still a work in progress, but I’ve learned over the years not to be afraid to talk about it. Once I open up about how I’m feeling, I always feel so much lighter in myself, and it doesn’t get as bad. Surrounding myself with people who lift me up really helps me too.
I need a solid 7 hours of sleep a night because….
Anymore and I’m so groggy, any less and I need about seven coffees!
Confidence, to me, is…
Belief in myself. As Irish people, I think there’s a big stigma around being confident because it can get confused with arrogance, but I find that once I believe in myself, it has a knock-on effect on my confidence, which ultimately means I perform better, whether that’s on the pitch of in business meetings.
The Rugby World Cup is a brilliant stage to showcase the sport’s powerful personalities— and to inspire the next generation to believe in themselves. Rugby is a place where everyone can belong and where people discover that inner belief. That, to me, is what true confidence is all about.
How do you get over a bad performance?
I don’t take too long to dwell on it. I’ll review what needs to be reviewed, identify where I’ve gone wrong, and decide what needs to be changed to perform better. If I dwell on it, I’m not being of any benefit to my teammates.
Lastly, why is sport such an integral part of community, on a club, local, national and personal level?
Sport has given me some of the most incredible experiences I could ever imagine, but it’s also taught me so much, whether that’s hard work, respect, applying myself, or being there for others. Sport is more than just a game; it creates belonging and provides a community for anyone who wants to get involved, and I think that’s why it’s so important in communities.
Everyone should see what rugby is available in their community and there are so many fantastic IRFU initiatives to get involved with too. World Rugby’s tournament legacy programme ‘Impact Beyond’ is also going to be so crucial for making sure the tournament’s impact is felt in communities globally.
I’m really excited for the World Cup, and encourage everyone to come and be a part of the tournament, and hopefully you’ll love it and stay close to the sport, as a fan or a player!
Tickets, including Ireland’s clashes with Spain and Japan, are on general sale – available at tickets.rugbyworldcup.com. For the latest tournament updates and fixture details, visit rugbyworldcup.com/2025.
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