Lara Pitt on the "Mayhem" of Sports Media and the Evolution of the NRL
Fox Sports presenter Lara Pitt detailed her rise from a "hated" marketing role to becoming a staple of national rugby league coverage on the latest episode of Chiming In. From the grueling shift work of the logging department to navigating high-pressure live broadcasts, Pitt provided a behind-the-scenes look at the realities of modern sports journalism.
The "Swiss Army Knife" of Fox Sports
Reflecting on her entry into the industry, Pitt emphasised that her success was built on a foundation of unglamorous "grunt work." After pivoting from a commerce degree to postgraduate journalism, she secured a foot in the door at Fox Sports by time-coding endless hours of sports footage in the logging department.
"I loved it because I was in the building," Pitt said of her early days, advising aspiring reporters that the industry requires being a "Swiss Army knife" who can produce, edit, and report. She was quick to debunk the idea of sideline reporting being a glamorous profession.
"It is definitely not glamorous sitting on a freezing sideline in the rain."
A "Huge Shift" for Women in Media
Pitt noted the dramatic transformation of the sports media landscape during her tenure. She highlighted the career trajectories of former colleagues like Mel McLaughlin and Jessica Yates as evidence of a "huge shift" where women now lead major sports coverages across the country.
Handling the Heat: Hecklers and Coaches
Live television brings unpredictable challenges, and Pitt shared a now-famous incident at Shark Park where frustrated fans heckled her during a live cross following a Roosters victory. The veteran presenter famously told the crowd to "go away" while still on air.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bhwGVyZqggc
"I just turned around and said 'Guys, seriously, just go away,'" she recalled, noting the difficulty of maintaining professional composure when the "mayhem" of a live stadium environment boils over.
The unpredictability extends to the post-match press conferences, where she has navigated the temperaments of the game’s biggest coaching figures. Pitt revealed a bizarre encounter with Des Hasler, where the coach appeared to "attack" her while simultaneously attempting to apologise for a previous outburst.
Family, Footy, and Philanthropy
Off-camera, Pitt is a mother of three young sons who she says give her "zero credit" for her television career. While she grew up in a household split between the Eels and the Roosters, she has since become a "rusted-on" Dragons supporter.
Beyond the sideline, Pitt serves as a board member for the Sporting Chance Cancer Foundation. She highlighted the charity’s critical work in funding outreach nurses to support children with cancer in regional Australia, ensuring families can receive care without the added burden of constant travel to major cities.
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