Layla Arrison: Pioneering the voice of rugby for women

IOL News

5 days ago

Breaking down doors Earlier this year, Layla Arrison made history by becoming the first English-language commentator for a Springbok game. Photo: Supplied
Image: Supplied
Layla Arrison is one of South Africa's new voices of rugby – and she's on a mission.
As a trailblazing commentator, she's breaking down barriers for women in sport while staying true to herself and living authentically.
For many local rugby fans, her voice has become familiar: offering expert analysis across Currie Cup clashes, United Rugby Championship showdowns, and Springbok Test matches – both men's and women's. It's a role she's embraced with passion ever since picking up the microphone three years ago.
Growing up as a 'tomboy', she played rugby with her cousins, while her interactions with former Springbok and Stormers fullback Gio Aplon, who was a family friend, helped her develop a deep passion for the game.
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While studying at Stellenbosch University, she became one of the first women to be offered a rugby scholarship, which grew her love for the game even more.
'I loved the camaraderie and building something and drawing women to a sport that you would not see women in. That was a big part in feeding my fire and making me think this was something I would want to do with my life.'
Broadcasting, she says, came after a stint with the Bulls Daisies, where she was trying to figure out where to go next.
'I got into a couple of conversations with people. Someone who had a streaming site said I should just come and do commentary for the games. I ended up really loving it, not realising that it was going to be something I was going to do.
'Long story short, I went to SuperSport, had a conversation with Robbie Kempson. He introduced me to producer Arthur Khoza, who ended up taking me to Ongeziwe Zondani, another of the producers. I shot my shot and said, 'If you ever need a woman in rugby, give me a shout.' About two weeks later, she called and said they'd started a new series and asked if that was something I'd want to be a part of. I came on as a guest and that built on to commentary and now I'm anchoring and presenting.'
Since then, her journey has taken her from commentating on Craven Week games to Test matches. Earlier this year, she became the first woman ever to commentate on a Springbok game.
Unfortunately, many in our society still hold backward views and believe that a woman shouldn't be commentating on rugby games.
'There was a day or two where I thought, 'Is this really worth it?' I've been in this space for three-and-a-half years. For three-and-a-half years, I've had to deal with people saying this. What I had to realise is that the people who think you're good, those who think you're doing a great job, aren't going to tap you on the back and say, 'Well done.' The reason the negativity is so loud is because it's negativity – they are the ones who are speaking.
'I've had to change the way I thought about what people are saying. If people are saying, 'She's annoying,' or, 'This is why women shouldn't be in sport,' thank goodness that's all they're saying. Thank goodness they're not saying, 'She's a terrible person,' 'She's inauthentic,' 'She's bad at her job,' because none of those negative things came at me for what I was saying. I was saying exactly the same thing as my male counterparts were saying, but they didn't like what I was saying because I'm a woman saying it. We'll get there, and I understand because I'm the one breaking the ceiling. Someone's got to have the pushback, someone's got to take the flak.'
In the future, she hopes that young girls and women will look at her like how she looked at iconic cricket commentator Kass Naidoo, who has been breaking barriers for almost three decades.
'My only advice would be: don't take the first 'no' or first rejection as the final one. Keep going, keep pushing. If I had listened to all the 'nos' that I got, I wouldn't be here today. I've worked hard, I continue to upskill myself, and I've found a way to make myself feel deserving of the seat at the table. That would be my advice. Continue to upskill, don't take no for an answer, and keep pushing back. Me, Cato [Louw] and Mots [Motshidisi Mohono], we're fighting to have you have a seat at the table, but you've got to earn it and you've got to show why.
'What's good with us as women in this country is that we want to clap for each other. We want to support each other. Yes, we are competitive, but we do realise there is space under the sun for all of us, and we're doing it for the next. Once you've earned that seat at the table, continue to work hard and upskill yourself so that you maintain that and open more seats for more women.'
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