World Cup could prove windfall for our women
LANDING the 2029 women’s World Cup has accelerated plans for the code in Australia to start paying its best players.
Australian rugby has been dragging its heels about putting money in the pockets of the top 15-a-side female players as only two of Australia’s five Super W teams provide match payments and the Wallaroos only get paid for time in camp.
But the expected windfall from hosting the 2029 World Cup – plus the exposure the women’s game is going to get in a golden decade of major sporting events – is a game changer. Each of Australia’s football codes has been put on notice they need to start sharing their enormous fortunes with female participants to grow their game and getting the World Cup has only fasttracked Rugby Australia’s resolve.
“It‘s starting to move in the right direction, not just in rugby but across all sporting codes,” Australian Women’s Rugby president Josephine Sukkar said.
“I don‘t think we’ve actually refined how to make the commercial case work at the moment but that said, the thing that makes me really proud is most codes are going, ’if we don’t invest in it, we’re not going to get there anyway’ so they’ve just made the right decision and are figuring it out on the way.’’
The only Australian female players on full-time contracts are those in the Sevens team, which won the gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics and is ranked No.1 in the world.
Wallaroos captain Shannon Parry plays for both the 15s and Sevens teams and expects it won’t be long before players get paid no matter which side they are picked in.
“I think we will see resources and funding supportive of the women’s program,” she said.
“What that looks like, I‘m not too sure right now.”