After a tough year, Francesca Kirwan has won her third New Zealand beach volleyball title in five years. She tells Ashley Stanley how she manages sport and her wine business with dad, Sir John Kirwan.
At 3am every Monday, Francesca Kirwan and her family wake up to watch her brother Niko play football on the other side of the world. There’s her mum Fiorella and dad Sir John Kirwan, younger brother Luca and her new fiancé, also named Luca.
“Because he plays at three on a Sunday afternoon in Italy, we all wake up. That’s why he better appreciate it because it’s bloody hard work,” laughs Kirwan, who’s no stranger to making sacrifices in the name of sport.
She turned her focus from her day job, importing Italian wine, to winning the New Zealand beach volleyball championships – her third time in five years.
“And then we obviously support Luca with his rowing.” Luca Kirwan was a member of the New Zealand coxed four who finished fourth at the world U23 rowing championships in 2019. “We’re definitely supportive of each other.”
Three siblings, three different codes. But the same drive to compete at an elite level for the sporty Kirwans.
“Obviously a dream as a family would be all three making it, but it’s kind of fun just having everyone be so competitive in sport,” says Kirwan. “Because we can all relate and when things aren’t going well for one of us, things are going well for another so there’s always something going on. And that’s a lot of fun.”
The 26-year-old Francesca has represented New Zealand in beach volleyball and taken out the national titles with three different partners. After winning the latest title at the end of January, Kirwan says it’s not just her. “I have had three great partners for all three tournaments.”
She won with now rugby convert Kelsie Wills in 2016, Olivia MacDonald in 2019 and Alice Zeimann this year.
When she’s not working on her moves in the sand, Kirwan is managing JK.14 Wines – a family venture she set up with her dad to import their favourite products from Italy.
