Hosting three women’s world cups in the space of 18 months was considered a boost for women’s sport in New Zealand – even before a ball was bowled or tackle made.

Now that the cricket, rugby and football world cups are over, and the rest of the world has moved on, are Aotearoa’s female athletes any better off?

While the White Ferns failed to meet expectations at last year’s 50-over Cricket World Cup when they crashed out at the group stage, administrators were forced to focus on the women’s game.

Seven years ago New Zealand Cricket’s own research showed nearly 60 percent of clubs did not offer cricket for girls.

Suzie Bates heads back to the dressing room in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 against Australia in Wellington.Suzie Bates heads back to the dressing room in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 against Australia in Wellington. Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Auckland had one of the biggest club cricket competitions in New Zealand for women but at the end of last season 25 percent of surveyed female participants said they did not know if they wanted to return.

In response, Auckland Cricket revamped the premier women’s club competition for the upcoming season with new teams and new opportunities.

Auckland Cricket’s community manager of women’s and girls cricket Astrid van Uden said the main reason players considered leaving the sport was “they didn’t believe the playing opportunities that they wanted was available”.

van Uden said it was hoped the changes would help support the growth of the clubs that were focussed on women and girls.

“We’re hoping that this new structure is to going to entice some of these women to continue playing cricket and remove some of the barriers, like the barrier of time and commitment, and provide something that is competitive at the high level but then also playing opportunities at the other end of the spectrum as well.”

A new competition would also help with the growth of future White Ferns.

“To bridge the gap between our club competitions and our domestic competitions we’re introducing a new series called the Legends Cup and that will be our top club players and our academy players and potentially some of our Auckland Hearts players who will play in a six to eight game competition on a Sunday that provides more performance based playing opportunities and get more 18 to 24 year-olds playing at a higher level if they haven’t yet been selected into our Auckland academys.”

New Zealand celebrate with the trophy after winning the final. New Zealand Black Ferns v England, Women’s Rugby World Cup New Zealand 2021 (played in 2022) Grand Final match at Eden Park, Auckland, New Zealand on Saturday 12 November 2022.The Black Ferns celebrate with the trophy after winning the Rugby World Cup final. Photo: www.photosport.nz / Andrew Cornaga
The Black Ferns won a sixth Rugby World Cup in November against a backdrop of accusations of poor culture under a coach ousted not long before the tournament kicked off.

As well as questions about the gap between resources for men’s and women’s rugby in New Zealand.

In April, New Zealand Rugby revealed an ambitious 10-year plan for women and girls in rugby and nearly $22 million targeted for 2023.

Promises included increased investment in high performance programmes, athlete welfare and wellbeing support.

NZR’s head of women’s rugby Claire Beard said six months into the new strategy playing numbers are up nearly 30 percent this season and more women were coaching and refereeing but they faced new challenges.

“We’re attracting women and girls to rugby which is the good part what we really need to focus in on now is making sure that the experience they are having when they’re with us is really great and we haven’t [previously] had a lot of targeted support on what creating great experiences for girls and women look like.

“When we’re taking women that are 11 to 13-years-old and 16 to 19-years-old and we’re bringing them into our game what does getting them rugby ready look like because we’ve never helped young women get rugby ready before in a really targeted way, we’ve normally focussed on those core skill development and accqusition happening with young boys.”

Beard noted that getting people on board with women in rugby was the “easy part” after the World Cup.

“I think the whole of rugby realised that women are an integral part of our future and I don’t just mean participants… the growth that we’re seeing in referees, coaches, the growth that we need to continue to see in leadership roles at both the governance and senior leadership team perspective these are all good things for rugby in general, that diversity of thought, new people, new ideas.”

Hannah Wilkinson of the Football Ferns v Norway, Group Stage-Group A match of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup at Eden Park, Auckland.Hannah Wilkinson of the Football Ferns in the opening game of the FIFA World Cup at Eden Park. Photo: photosport
Record crowds watched the recently concluded month-long FIFA World Cup in New Zealand and Australia.

Participation numbers were not a problem for New Zealand Football but finding somewhere for the growing numbers to kick the ball was.

New Zealand Football chief executive officer Andrew Pragnell believed they had done just about everything they could to capitalise on hosting the tournament and he was calling for back-up.

“There is going to need to be an increased focus from central government in that area [fields and facilities] or else we are going to have a situation in which kids are being turned away from sport because there is insufficient playing fields which is something I don’t think any Kiwi wants to see.”

Australia’s Federal Government invested $200 million in the improvement of sporting facilities and equipment specifically for women off the back of the success of the Football World Cup.

“Certainly like to see something similar relative to New Zealand’s population and size but I would like to see something similar matched for sure.”

After watching all three world cups, Beard said: “It feels like we’re on that precipice of something really different here”.

Women in Sport Aotearoa chief executive officer Nicky van den Bos said it was easy to focus on women’s sport when the big tournaments were on however the real test would be what happened next.

“At a really superficial level there’s a lot happening and we can see that there is a lot of momentum off the back of these events but it’s that really deep system change that will continue to drive long term behaviour change within sport.”

van den Bos wanted equity within sports organisations from governance, through to strategy and programmes and policy.

But also for minority sports not to be forgotten about.

Japan’s Akiyo Noguchi is a star of the sport climbing world.Climbing is a sport Nicky van den Bos believes could do with more recognition. Photo: AFP
“I think where the opportunity lies to really do more for women and girls is in that weren’t served through those tournaments, the second tier sports, that perhaps could do with a high profile international tournament either on our shore or nearby that builds the visibility and therefore drives interest in participating or viewing.”

van den Bos also saw a way for a broader impact.

“With the three tournaments that we’ve had here it’s really been about the focus in on high performance female organised sport but I think in terms of Aotearoa one of the opportunities we have to grow women and girls generally across sport is the shifting perceptions that sport isn’t the only option for activity or creating facility around individuals but actually there is other organised forms of recreation in terms of mountain biking and climbing and jogging and water-based activities where it is just as relevant to be participating for performing in those areas of organised activity.

“One of our options here is to focus that shift away from it’s just organised sport actually there is so much more that can celebrate women and girls in a different way.”

VIA RNZ