RT Investigates and the Sunday Independent announce major new joint investigation
into Women's Soccer in Ireland to be revealed this Sunday
- Garda investigation underway following allegations against FAI coaches
- Two year joint investigation by journalists Marie Crowe and Mark Tighe
Watch RT Investigates: Girls in Green this Sunday night at 9.30pm
on RT One & RT Player
Read the full story in the Sunday Independent this weekend
This coming Sunday, 7th July, RT Investigates and the Sunday Independent will reveal the details of a joint investigation spanning two years, into widespread allegations of inappropriate behaviour made by women against Irish male soccer coaches.
The groundbreaking investigation covered in a feature length TV documentary and extensive written articles this Sunday, has in the last number of weeks led to Garda opening an investigation into a former senior football coach following allegations from female footballers that he made unwanted sexual advances on players. A separate complaint has also been made about a second senior coach.
Over two years in the making, the highly anticipated joint investigation features candid testimony from multiple former female players, former coaches and officials. Some of those who spoke to the RT Investigates / Sunday Independent joint investigation have never told anyone about their experiences until now.
Many of those who experienced unwanted sexual advances were shocked to discover that former teammates had shared similar experiences. I thought I was the only one, a significant number of former players have told RT Investigates and the Sunday Independent.
In one case a player said she was never selected again after she fled from her manager's hotel room after he attempted to kiss her. Another player outlined how she believed she was exiled by a coach from their team after she said she saw him behaving inappropriately with players.
In a change to scheduled programmes, RT Investigates: Girls in Green will be broadcast this Sunday night in peak time on RT One at 9.30pm, and available to stream worldwide on the RT Player. Extensive feature articles detailing the investigation will be published this weekend in the Sunday Independent, independent.ie and RTE.ie
Women's soccer seems to keep making headlines for all the wrong reasons. World Cup winners Spain had their finest hour mired in controversy, American soccer was turned upside down when a top coach was banned for life, and this year Brazil's former head coach resigned after players complained against sexual harassment.
Ex-Irish Internationals told the RT Investigates / Sunday Independent joint investigation they weren't surprised by revelations of misogyny and abuse abroad. They hinted at the same thing happening at home but had little faith that well-hidden secrets would ever see the light of day.
Journalist Mark Tighe of the Sunday Independent has written extensively about the FAI. RT Sport presenter and reporter Marie Crowe has spent 15 years in sports journalism including covering the Women's national soccer team. Both journalists were independently working on the same story in 2022 and then came together to research it in greater detail. They have spoken to a significant number of former female players for this investigation.
Made by the award-winning RT Investigations Unit, RT Investigates: Girls in Green sees RT Sport journalist Marie Crowe and Mark Tighe of the Sunday Independent join with RT Investigates Producer/Director Frank Shouldice to reveal the backroom story of women's soccer in Ireland.
RT Investigates and the Sunday Independent joint investigation looks at whether the absence of proper safeguards actually promoted an unhealthy dynamic between coaches and players and examines what measures the FAI took to ensure a secure environment for talented young girls who wanted to play soccer.
The FAI recently announced it was introducing a new anonymous reporting mechanism to allow players and others to flag concerns and report inappropriate behaviour to Raiseaconcern, an independent complaint handling firm. The Play It Right campaign which is to be rolled out to clubs across the country to promote good behaviour and promote a confidential independent helpline and website for anyone who wants to report a serious concern anonymously.
Four days before the announcement, reporters from RT Investigates and the Sunday Independent contacted the FAI seeking an official response to concerns raised by the women about their treatment by coaches in the 1990s.
An FAI spokesperson said: the Association was shocked and appalled to learn of disturbing allegations of abuse brought forward by women involved in Irish football in the 1990's .
The FAI acknowledges the enormous courage of the women in coming forward and making their concerns known and would encourage anyone involved in Irish football to report any concern that may arise.
Watch: RT Investigates: Girls in Green, Sunday 9.30pm on RT One and RT Player
Read: Sunday Independent and Irish Independent online from 6.00am Sunday morning
Note to Editor:
The FAI said that anyone that has experienced any form of abuse or harm within Irish football, can contact independent and confidential service it has set up with Raiseaconcern on 01 6107929 or 086 0299929, or email football@raiseaconcern.com.
More from RTE
03/12/2025
S an Nollaig
Celebrate 2025's top Irish sporting stars with RT Sport Awards live from RT Studios on RT One and RT Player
RT pays tribute to Ror...
02/12/2025
S an Nollaig
Hollywood blockbusters The Banshees of Inisherin, Barbie and Oppenheimer make their Irish TV debut
Tune into the classics such as Love Actual...
02/12/2025
Showcasing fresh Irish storytelling and emerging talent Storyland 2025 signals a fantastic time for Irish drama
RT and F s ireann/Screen Ireland are proud to...
01/12/2025
As the festive season approaches, RT Supporting the Arts is proud to showcase a...
01/12/2025
Festive specials of Christmas in Kilmainham presented by Marty Whelan, High Road Low Road, Callan Kicks the Year and Keys to My Life
Ring in the New Year with ...
01/12/2025
Architect and television presenter Hugh Wallace, best known to RT audiences as a long-serving judge on Home of the Year, has died at the age of 68.
In a state...
28/11/2025
Unwrapped: The Toy Show Appeal - airing this Sunday on RT One and RT Player- s...
27/11/2025
World champion boxer and Irish sporting icon Katie Taylor will be in studio this...
27/11/2025
Roblox, one of the world's most popular online gaming platforms for primary ...
24/11/2025
Ahead of the new ninth series of Dancing with the Stars, kicking off in January 2026, RT and Shinawil have announced the arrival of three new faces to the hit ...
20/11/2025
It's the Late Late Toy Show BIG BIG Ticket Giveaway day!
It's the Late ...
20/11/2025
The How To Gael pocast gals, comedian Chris Kent and quizzer Darragh Ennis drop by for the fifth episode of The 2 Johnnies Late Night Lock In
In the penultimat...
20/11/2025
Tonight on RT Prime Time, Marie Crowe on how a Reading School changed her son&#...
19/11/2025
Michael D. Higgins: Ireland's Ninth President features RT Archives footage and interviews across seven decades
Watch Wednesday 19 November at 9:35pm on RT...
18/11/2025
DJ Carey: The Dodger starts Monday 24th November at 9.35pm on RT One and RT Pl...
14/11/2025
The Late Late Toy Show blasts off!
RT launches The Late Late Toy Show's of...
13/11/2025
Legendary actor and proud Irishman Gabriel Byrne will be in studio this week to ...
13/11/2025
Tonight's crucial Republic of Ireland World Cup qualifier v Portugal at the ...
13/11/2025
In the fourth episode of The 2 Johnnies Late Night Lock In the lads are joined b...
12/11/2025
RT Choice Music Prize
In association with IMRO and IRMA
2 0 2 6 K E Y D A T E S
Irish Album of the Year 2025 Shortlist 19th January
Irish Song of the ...
12/11/2025
Parents jailed for over two years after bringing their daughter to hospital for ...
11/11/2025
After international award wins, the much-loved children's series returns with 13 brand new episodes with some very special children and guests including Ros...
10/11/2025
76 animals. Six locations. Two Irish stars. One Pet Mobile.
From surfing dogs t...
07/11/2025
SLEIGH BELLS RING ARE YOU WINNING?
THE LATE LATE TOY SHOW BIG BIG TICKET GIVEAWAY EXCLUSIVE ACROSS RT CHANNELS
On Friday 21 November, listeners across all R...
06/11/2025
RT Announces Alex Walden as General Manager of the
RTE Concert Orchestra
Alex Walden, renowned orchestra manager, most recently for the BBC Concert Orche...
06/11/2025
Actors Steve Coogan and anna Hardwicke will be on the Late Late Show this week ...
06/11/2025
In the third episode of The 2 Johnnies Late Night Lock In actor Danny O'Carr...
05/11/2025
New schedule will be live on-air Monday 10 November
Brand-new Today with David McCullagh from 9am
Oliver Callan in all-new extended show from 11am to 1pm
Kie...
05/11/2025
Explore the future with Science Week on RT
Dive into a week of innovative, themed programming and content across RT television, radio and online
Includes a ...
05/11/2025
Get ready for six weeks of United FC, a brand-new, feel-good teen docuseries kic...
04/11/2025
Begins Thursday November 6 on RT One and RT Player at 10:15pm
Camogie: Inside...
03/11/2025
They've made that decision and ruined an awful lot of people's lives.
...
31/10/2025
The RT Raidi na Gaeltachta Award 2025 will be presented to journalist P il n N Chiar in at the Oireachtas na Samhna in Belfast tomorrow, Saturday 1 November,...
31/10/2025
RT lyric fm is calling for choirs across Ireland to share their festive music-m...
31/10/2025
Three awards were presented to RT Raidi na Gaeltachta broadcasters at the Oire...
31/10/2025
RT continues its proud tradition of championing Ireland's vibrant arts and cultural landscape through its RT Supporting the Arts initiative. This November...
31/10/2025
RT selects Irish independent production company to produce Christian Worship on...
30/10/2025
RT Concert Orchestra in November and December
Collaborations with RT Radio 1's Sunday Miscellany (2 December) and RT 2FM's Late Breakfast (9 Decembe...
30/10/2025
Johnny B and Johnny Smacks are back tonight for the second episode of the new se...
30/10/2025
First look of Jon Bon Jovi's interview with Patrick Kielty
Jon Bon Jovi is ...
29/10/2025
RT PUBLISHES 2024 ANNUAL REPORT
RT REPORTS NET SURPLUS OF 5.5 MILLION IN 2024
A YEAR WITH MANY SPECIAL EVENTS UEFA EUROS 2024, THE OLYMPICS AND PARALYMP...
24/10/2025
FIRST PLACE AND 5,000 LYNDA McCARTHY FOR WITNESS'
SECOND PLACE AND 4,000 ANGELA FINN FOR A SPECTRUM OF SORROW'
THIRD PLACE AND 3,000 IAN FE...
24/10/2025
RT will provide extensive coverage of the results of the Presidential Election across television, radio and online on Saturday, 25 October 2025.
Throughout th...
24/10/2025
New Coaches, New Families and New Challenges Set for Ireland's Fittest Famil...
24/10/2025
Westlife, Imelda May and Ben Elton among the guests on this week's Late Late...
23/10/2025
RT is today publishing a statistical summary from the Register of External Activities for the second quarter of 2025.
The RT Register of External Activities ...
23/10/2025
Series three of the award winning, hit comedy entertainment series The 2 Johnnies Late Night Lock In is back on your screens, celebrating the very best of all t...
23/10/2025
Performances by Michael Flatley, Andy Irvine, Cuckoo's Nest, Foster and Allen and more
Friday 24 October, 8pm on RT One and RT Player
Fleadh Cheoil re...
22/10/2025
First Look Hidden Assets Series 3
Premieres on 9th November 9:30pm on RT One & RT Player
WATCH HERE Promo Link: Hidden Assets Series 3 | RT
The Crimin...
RT Investigates and the Sunday Independent announce major new joint investigation
