Roni Hawkes
“I think that the all players should be celebrated for their dedication to the sport regardless of their gender.”
⸺Who is Roni Hawkes?
I mostly play football for fun due to injuries when I do pay for a club I am goalkeeper. I hope to be a musician in the future but since football had a big impact on me in my childhood I want it to remain part of my future even if it just for fun. It one of the main ways me and my brothers bonded.
⸺What team/country do you support and why?
I support Chelsea. I started supporting them because the where my favourite colour. Thats how my 9 year old brain decided and it just never left.
⸺How long have you been watching women’s football and have you noticed any changes within the sport?
I watched my first womens game at age 10 when I watched the women’s FA Cup final in 2015. When I went to see this game in particular I was so excited but no one really seemed to care as it was womens football now there is definitely a buzz around womens football but I think that many people still hold the belief that womens football I worse then mens football because its less physical.
I think that womens football definitely holds up to mens now. I think that the wsl is more competitive and produces amazing games of football.
⸺What impact do you think the FIFA 2023 Women's World Cup had on women?
I think that there's more awareness of the fact there are way less professional womens leagues then mens leagues.
⸺Which player(s) are you routing for in the 2023/2024 WSL and why?
Anyone thats coming back from injury. It always a great feeling to see a player who's missed a chunk of a previous season prove their point. Its also impressive to see the graft and hard and determination these players have to get back on the pitch and still perform to the highest of abilities.
⸺What actions do you think could be made to encourage more diverse younger girls to continue playing and support our current players?
More funding for more grassroots clubs to be accessible to more girls at all levels and ages. I know that when I was growing up finding clubs that would help my development was quite difficult as most grassroots clubs were geared to players who were new to the sport. This may have put a lot of girls off of playing for clubs. Luckily i found a couple which I played at.
⸺How do you view the future of women's football?
With this newfound popularity I hope that the WSL does become as popular as the premier league and for women’s tournaments as well. I think that the all players should be celebrated for their dedication to the sport regardless of their gender.
