A game changer for women's sport

By CLARE SULTMANN

The ABC has called it a ‘game changer for women's sport', and I think they are on the money.

Most of this country knows that this weekend marks ‘Grand Final Weekend' for both the AFL and Rugby League codes. There will be thousands descending upon stadiums, thousands more hosting Grand Final parties at home and pubs all over the country overflowing with keen supporters ready to cheer their team home. It's the holy grail of footy, and millions of sports-mad Aussies will be tuning in.

What a lot of this country doesn't know and what we should turn our attention to, in the wake of all this Grand Final fever is the fact that the inaugural National Rugby League Women's (NRLW) Grand Final will take place tomorrow afternoon. The match is between the Brisbane Broncos and the Sydney Roosters.

The NRL's slogan for its very first women's premiership has been "It's the Same Game. Our Way'. Nice. But if you listen to the trailblazers, the women who have fought for so long to have their game recognised in any small way, it's been years and years of sacrifice to get to this point.

Annie Banks, a longstanding supporter and instrumental to the development of Australian Women's Rugby for decades has said openly that: ‘women's sport has become a beast that can't be ignored'. All hail Annie Banks.

If the incredible popularity and growth of women's netball, women's cricket and now women's rugby league is anything to go by, she is, like the ABC, right on the money.

For so many years, to watch women's sport on a semi-regular basis, we've had to tune into the tennis, and that's about the extent of it. But not anymore. Women are coming hard, and they are coming fast, and finally, the big corporations and the television stations are starting to pay attention.

At 1:35pm tomorrow, I'll be tuning in to watch the Women's Rugby League Grand Final, and in the process, witness history being made.

Image via www.broncos.com.au

Clare Sultmann is a wife, mother of 3 and the founder of Dear Molly.
As a survivor of a catastrophic accident, former barrister at law, published author, and nationally accredited mediator Clare has returned to work in a different capacity. Relocating to Noosa shortly after the birth of her first child, Clare found it difficult to make meaningful and real connections with other like-minded women away from her own network of friends. With this in mind, Clare’s idea was born. Dear Molly aims to provide connections for like-minded women in a real, meaningful and positive manner. It a platform to share, communicate and inspire other women about their ‘real’ life.