Key Points
- The federal government has announced a funding boost of $200 million for women’s sports.
- Anthony Albanese said the investment into women’s sport was overdue.
- The announcement also included a commitment to reviewing the anti-siphoning scheme.
The federal government has announced a funding boost of $200 million for women’s sports along with reforms to ensure more Australians are able to access women’s sporting events on free-to-air television.
The announcement includes the launch of the Play Our Way program, aimed at improving sporting facilities and equipment specifically for women and girls.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the Women's World Cup has "changed sport in Australia forever" and that the investment into women’s sport was overdue.
“The Matildas have given us a moment of national inspiration, this is about seizing that opportunity for the next generation, investing in community sporting facilities for women and girls around Australia,” he said.
“Sport is a great unifier and a great teacher - it brings communities together, it teaches us about teamwork and resilience and the joy of shared success.”
“We want women and girls everywhere in Australia to have the facilities and the support to choose a sport they love.”
He also announced the appointment of an expert panel of former female athletes to help design the program, including Liz Ellis, Lauren Jackson, Madison de Rozario and Tal Karp.
The investment comes after Matildas captain Sam Kerr called for more money to help develop grassroots soccer in Australia after the historic Women's World Cup semi-final appearance.
What will the Play Our Way program focus on?
Minister for Sport Anika Wells said the Play Our Way program will promote equal access, build more suitable facilities, and support grassroots initiatives to get women and girls to engage, stay, and participate in sports throughout their lives.
"Too often women and girls are changing in men's bathrooms, wearing hand-me-down boys uniforms, playing with men's equipment on poor fields that boys teams wouldn’t train on," she said.
“Play Our Way will address these issues to help women and girls enjoy sport for life."
The Matildas Women's World Cup exploits captivated a nation. Source: Getty / Cameron Spencer
Guidelines for Play Our Way grants are in development and it's expected applications will open by early 2024.
Online broadcasting of matches to be reviewed
The announcement also included a commitment to reviewing the anti-siphoning list, which promotes free access to broadcasts of important sporting events.
A review of the list found the scheme needed to be modernised to incorporate online services to mitigate the risk of events slipping behind paywalls. It also found that the composition of the anti-siphoning list needed to be reconsidered with respect to women's sports and para-sports.
Possible additions to the list include the Paralympic Games, AFLW and NRLW games, and the women's State of Origin series. The government's options paper also canvasses the listing of men's and women's rugby league, rugby union, cricket and soccer matches that involve a senior Australian representative team.
“Every Australian deserves the chance to enjoy live and free coverage of these events, no matter where they live or what they earn," said Minister for Communications Michelle Rowland.
“Broadcasting iconic sporting and cultural events helps us to create shared experiences, fosters a collective Australian identity, and contributes to grassroots community-based participation.”
