When the noted Australian female sports journalist Rebecca Wilson died earlier this month, public outpourings of condolence were swiftly forthcoming. Recognising Wilson’s groundbreaking work during her career of more than 35 years and paving the way for other female journalists in what remains traditionally a man’s domain, The Australian newspaper credited Wilson with ‘smashing down…
Read more
In September, banned Essendon player Jobe Watson made his long-awaited announcement that he would play on in 2017. At his press conference, he wore a cap emblazoned with the word ‘FEMINIST’. Watson spoke of his New York housemate Jackie Funder, girlfriend of former Essendon Bombers player Scott Gumbleton, who had educated him on gender equality…
Read more
‘Ladies and gentlemen, and those who are yet to make up their minds…’ Would you be surprised if I told you that this was a pre-game announcement at the football? Last weekend, the inaugural Pride Game took place between St Kilda and the Sydney Swans, a game that aimed to celebrate diversity, as well as…
Read more
Can you believe the Rio Olympics are here? For the first time, Australia will be sending more female athletes than men to the games, with the last-minute qualification of Australia’s women’s eight rowing team after Russia’s ban pushing us over the line to 50.6%. That means there are more women than ever to watch this…
Read more
Why is it such a familiar sight to see coaching and administration in women’s sport still made up predominantly of men? What does this mean for the women trying to break into this industry? I got thinking about this after discussions on Twitter about Carlton choosing Damien Keeping as their coach for the…
Read more
The federal election is now less than a month away, and in the past week or two, the issue of women’s participation in sport has managed to make its way onto the mainstream agenda. It appears that the two major parties are vying to demonstrate who is better committed to women’s sport. With…
Read more
The Rio Olympics are coming up in August, and I was shocked to discover that I know very little about our national women’s soccer* team. When I think of the Matildas, my mind conjures up a mix of highs and lows – the team’s great successes but also their lengthy pay disputes and volatile playing…
Read more
Sunday was Mothers’ Day. As with any holiday or event, brands and companies jumped at the chance to make reference to the day in an attempt to stay relevant. Sporting teams and leagues were no different, and Mothers’ Day brought a plethora of posts thanking mothers for their contribution to sport. A nice sentiment, right?…
Read more
Side by Side is Danielle Croci’s new fortnightly sport column. This is the first instalment. Be sure to check in with Lip regularly to get more of Danielle’s insights on gender issues in games and fitness – across varying codes and abilities. ‘To my horror, my six-year-old daughter recently announced that she’d like to watch AFL.’ Kasey…
Read more
The federal government has promised to crack down on differences in travel and accommodation allowance spending for male and female athletes, but is it a conciliatory gesture in an industry with wider problems? On Wednesday, the Department of Health announced that Federal Minister for Health and Sport Sussan Ley had written to Australia’s peak…
Read more
The inaugural Women’s Big Bash League (WBBL) has drawn to a close for the summer, and has been hailed as a success for women’s sport and health in Australia. The Sydney Thunder took out the title at the MCG in front of more than 5,000 fans, and more via its live broadcast on television….
Read more
Last year, more people watched the women’s FIFA World Cup on TV than ever before, with over one billion viewers tuning in worldwide over the course of the event. The record figures seemed to be indicative of women’s rise towards parity with men in televised sports coverage, but recent studies performed by the University of…
Read more
After Stan Wawrinka bowed out of his second round match against Nick Kyrgios at the Rogers Cup, I wondered if they’d shake hands. The post-match handshake is sacred but it can convey either deep respect and friendship or stewing loathing and passive aggression. They did shake hands, likely because Wawrinka hadn’t heard the comment…
Read more
The Netball World Cup is well underway with a shock defeat to the Australian Diamonds at the hands of old rivals the New Zealand Silver Ferns with a final score of 52-47. The defeat is hot on the heels of the Diamonds blitzing their match against Barbados with a record-breaking 83 goals to 16. In…
Read more
