Robyn Cowen
NationalityBritish
EducationBA (hons) Law
Alma materOxford Brookes University
OccupationSports commentator

Robyn Cowen is a British journalist and football commentator. Cowen is best known as being the lead play-by-play commentator on BBC One during the England women's national football team matches during UEFA Women's Euro 2022, hosted and won by England.[1][2]

Early life

Cowen attended Wheatley Park School in Oxford before graduating in 2011 from Oxford Brookes University with a degree in law.[3]

Career

Cowen joined the BBC in 2011 as a sports reporter after a placement at BBC Radio Oxford.[4] She joined BBC Radio 5 Live in 2014 and began on the commentary team for Match of the Day in 2018. She was a commentator for the BBC at the delayed UEFA Euro 2020.[5] Cowen has had regular appearances on the Offside Rule podcast alongside Lynsey Hooper and Kait Borsay,[6] as well as guest appearances on Guardian Football Weekly,[7][8] and The Athletic’s Football Cliches show.[9]

In July 2023, she was announced as a commentator for the BBC at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.[10]

Recognition and reception

As a female commentator in a traditionally male-dominated industry, Cowen has remarked that whilst Jacqui Oatley had been a solo female voice as the first female commentator on Match of the Day, the presence of Vicki Sparks at the BBC at the same time as Cowen had made her feel "exceptionally lucky" because they had been able to share the "spotlight".[11]

Former Match of the Day host Des Lynam described Cowen in The Daily Telegraph as having "an understated and light-hearted style [that] is easy on the ear."[12] At the 2021 Football Supporters' Association Awards, Cowen was nominated in the 'Commentator of the Year' category alongside Martin Tyler, Peter Drury and Conor McNamara, amongst others.[13]

Cowen's commentary of "Dream makers. Record breakers. Game changers", as England won Euro 2022 was described by veteran broadcaster Richard Keys as "brilliant. And perfect for the occasion."[14] Cowen's commentary from the winning moment at the 2022 Euros final was used by BBC One during the New Year's Eve celebrations and fireworks after the Big Ben strikes at midnight into 1 January 2023.[15]

In February 2023 Cowen was nominated in the Commentator category at the British Sports Journalism Awards.[16] In November 2023, she was nominated in the Commentator of the Year category at the Football Supporters' Association awards.[17]

References

  1. ^ "BBC Commentator Takes Glorious Dig At Alan Sugar Over Women's Euros Comment". www.sportbible.com.
  2. ^ Mogan, Tony (11 July 2022). "BBC commentator shuts down Alan Sugar after complaints over Euro 2022 coverage".
  3. ^ "European Graduates | Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, United Kingdom". graduates.name.
  4. ^ "'You can't be what you can't see'". BBC Sport. 8 March 2018.
  5. ^ Newsroom, T. V. (16 June 2021). "Robyn Cowen". TV Newsroom.
  6. ^ "Robyn Cowen". The Offside Rule.
  7. ^ Cowen, Presented by Max Rushden with Robyn; Asante, Anita; Grove, Jordan Jarrett-Bryan Produced by Joel; Bennett, executive produced by Christian (27 July 2022). "England are one step closer to history – Football Weekly". The Guardian – via www.theguardian.com.
  8. ^ Glendenning, Presented by Max Rushden with Barry; Cowen, Robyn; Hickman, Ceylon Andi (7 July 2022). "England get the Euro 2022 party started with a win – Football Weekly Extra". The Guardian – via www.theguardian.com.
  9. ^ "Football Cliches - A show about the language of football: Match of the Day's Robyn Cowen on applauding crossfield passes and footballers who don't look like footballers on Apple Podcasts". Apple Podcasts.
  10. ^ "Women's FIFA World Cup 2023". bbc.com. 10 July 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2023.
  11. ^ Burke, Elias. "Trailblazers: The women leading the diversity revolution in football broadcasting". The Athletic.
  12. ^ Lynam, Des (20 June 2021). "Des Lynam's Euros TV verdict: Female voices impress, England vs Scotland handled expertly and Clive Tyldesley at compassionate best". The Telegraph – via www.telegraph.co.uk.
  13. ^ Cummins, Gareth (2 November 2021). "FSA Awards 2021 shortlists announced". Football Supporters' Association.
  14. ^ "Lionesses - you've changed everything". Richardjkeys.com.
  15. ^ Rushden, Max; Glendenning, Barry; Gray, Silas; Sanderson, Max (12 January 2023). "Football Weekly Southampton stun Manchester City and Forest sink Wolves–Football Weekly Podcast". The Guardian.
  16. ^ "Woods, Roan and Murray go for glory again as Broadcast categories revealed for British Sports Journalism Awards". sportsjournalists.co.uk. 17 February 2023.
  17. ^ "FSA Awards 2023: Vote now!". thefsa.org. 3 November 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
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