MCC, Sky Sports and leading cricket charity Take Her Lead have today announced the return of the MCC Young Female Broadcaster competition for its third year, as women’s cricket prepares to make history at Lord’s this summer.
The competition, which has already helped launch the careers of talented young women in sports broadcasting, returns at a landmark moment for the game. In July 2026, Lord’s will host the first-ever Women’s Test at the ground in a historic contest between England and India. In addition, it will stage no less than four ICC Women’s T20 World Cup matches including the Final on Sunday 5 July.
The impact of the competition is already being felt. Both the 2024 and 2025 cohorts have gone on to secure opportunities across the cricket media landscape and beyond, working with MCC, Take Her Lead, Nepal Premier League, SA20, Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025, Birmingham City Football Club and more, demonstrating the competitions' tangible and lasting difference.
Building on that legacy, a shortlist of runners-up, selected by a judging panel comprising representatives from MCC, Sky Sports, Take Her Lead and current broadcasters, will be invited to Lord’s on 11 July to experience the history-making Test from the iconic Barclays Media Centre, alongside some of the best cricket broadcasters in the business. They will enjoy a full behind-the-scenes experience, including workshops, Q&As, tours and more.
The competition winner will once again receive the unrivalled opportunity to join the Sky Sports broadcast team at Lord’s for their live coverage of The Hundred Final on Saturday 16 August 2026.
Beyond this, previous winners have also enjoyed visits to Sky Sports’ studios and headquarters, additional fixtures and appearances as part of The Hundred, numerous broadcasting and content opportunities with Take Her Lead, including mentoring with key female broadcasters like Alison Mitchell, Mel Jones and Isa Guha, as well as a series of special invitations connecting them with former cohort members and the wider women’s cricket community.
Open to females aged 18 – 24 with aspirations in sports broadcasting, the competition welcomes applicants at all stages of their journey, whether taking their first steps in the industry or already building experience in sports media.
The 2026 competition launched on Saturday 16 May 2026 on Sky Sports, with 2025 winner Helen Trappelides and 2024 winner Jessica Crowe appearing at England Women’s ODI against New Zealand in Cardiff.
MCC, Sky Sports and Take Her Lead remain united in their commitment to advancing opportunities for women and girls in cricket. At its core, the competition is designed to create meaningful opportunities in sports broadcasting and amplify the next generation of female voices in the game.
Take Her Lead, a leading cricket charity founded by broadcaster and former England cricketer Isa Guha, aims to drive equity and inclusion across the game, providing opportunities, mentoring and increasing participation for women and girls both on and off the field.
Significant progress has been made in recent years. In 2025, Sky Sports once again led the way, delivering 69% of all women's sport broadcast coverage hours, continuing to drive visibility.
This competition also complements MCC's wider work in W&G’s cricket that ranges from new permanent visual markers at Lord’s, to increases of over 50% of female participation in the MCC Foundation’s Hub programme. The ground has a record number of women’s fixtures in 2026 with 21 days of play at Lord’s, and with eight weeks to go, ticket sales for the Women’s Test have already surpassed the highest attendance record (23,207) for a women’s Test in England.
The NCTJ has seen growth too with women now making up 25% of students enrolled on accredited sports journalism courses, up from 6% in 2021/22, 14% in 2022/23, and 20% in 2023/24, and meeting its target for female representation for the 2025/26 period.
But there is still more to do. The NCTJ's next ambition is equal representation in sports journalism training and across industry newsrooms, recognising that a more diverse and inclusive environment is essential to the future of the industry. This competition aims to support that mission.
Katie Maier, Chief Marketing Officer at MCC, said: “This summer, Lord’s writes a new chapter in the history of women’s cricket, and we want the next generation of female broadcasters to be part of telling that story.
Our winner and runners-up will be invited to experience the historic Test match from the iconic Barclays Media Centre, where they will gain invaluable experience to support their career ambitions in sports broadcasting. This is a pivotal moment for the women and girls’ game, with more opportunities than ever before to get involved.
MCC Young Female Broadcaster is about ensuring that as the game grows, the voices telling its stories grow too. We are proud to champion the next generation of broadcasting talent and look forward to seeing who steps forward this summer.”
Bryan Henderson, Director of Sky Cricket, commented: “We are proud to again partner with MCC and Take Her Lead on a competition that is making a genuine difference. The standard of talent we have seen across the first two cohorts gives us huge confidence in the future of women’s sports broadcasting.
We look forward to welcoming our 2026 winner to be part of our broadcast team at The Hundred Final at Lord’s later this summer.”
Isa Guha, Founder of Take Her Lead, added: “We are proud to play a role in a competition that creates meaningful opportunities for female broadcasters in sports media - a field where female voices have historically been underrepresented. Seeing is believing, and the presence of more female broadcasters being seen and heard within sport, not only inspires the next generation, but also helps foster an environment where they truly feel they belong. We look forward to continuing our support of this year’s winning cohort through mentoring and valuable media opportunities.”
2025 MCC Young Female Broadcaster of the Year, Helen Trappelides, said: "Winning this competition last year changed everything for me. A year ago, I was just a student who loved cricket, and now I’ve worked alongside some of the best broadcasters in the game.
The doors Young Female Broadcaster has opened and the people I've been able to learn from have been extraordinary. Working with Take Her Lead as a content creator, hosting events, speaking on panels, writing blogs, and being mentored by Isa Guha and others has been an invaluable experience and it has genuinely changed my trajectory. You don’t need any experience to apply, just a passion - so go for it!”.
Think you’ve got what it takes to be our next Young Female Broadcaster of the Year?
To enter the competition, click the link below to submit a showreel of your best go at a match report, match commentary, video blog or interview.
Enter now
