What do women want? As we approach a new year, Sportette has asked the most influential athletes and administrators what they want to see happen in their sport in the next year and in five years. These are benchmarks everyone and especially the governing bodies can work towards making happen.

Here are their responses:

MOYA DODD

Vice-President Asian Football Confederation + First female member FIFA Executive Committee

2015

A sparkling FIFA Women’s World Cup that thrills new audiences with elite, entertaining football.

2020

For football administrators everywhere to recognise the unconscious biases set into the game, and consciously remove them.

And for the Matildas to win the World Cup.

TAMEKA BUTT

Australian Women’s Soccer “Matildas” + Brisbane Roar Player

2015 

I wish to see great on-field success at the FIFA Women’s World Cup, the Matildas have without a doubt drawn the hardest pool in the competition! To progress through the group stage would show great female sporting ability!

2020

I hope to see and participate in the 2016 Rio Olympics with the Matildas! We have unfortunately missed the last few Olympics due to not qualifying which I feel has greatly hindered women’s football sponsorship opportunities and attractiveness.

LAURA GEITZ

Australian Netball “Diamonds” and Firebirds Captain

2015

In the next 12 months I would love to see progress on sourcing a home venue for the QLD Firebirds.  It would be fantastic to finally have the ‘hub’ of all things netball from The Queensland Firebirds right down to the junior development programs in one spot.

A home venue for The QLD Firebirds would also allow bigger crowds to attend each home game for the ANZ Championship – it would be a positive step toward making our spot from semi to professional.

2020

I would love to see all 12 contracted players for the Firebirds signing contracts which allows them to be professional athletes, meaning the women will not have to juggle part/full time jobs and can soley concentrate on bettering their performance as athletes.

I would love to see the sport on free to air television allowing more exposure to the individuals and therefore gaining more lucrative sponsorship deals.

LAUREN JACKSON

Australian Women’s Basketball “Opals” Captain

2015

My wish is that ABC continue to nationally broadcast the sport and we start to get digital partners as well, so that people overseas have access to coverage.

We are starting to get big name players here to the WNBL and fans across the world want to follow their favourite players. Being marketed in a way that maximises support and gives all the players a chance at becoming full time professional players.

2020

Well, by 2020 I’d like to see our sport crack commercial TV. Hopefully by this stage all the players are full time professionals and on par with the NBL in terms of salary and media coverage.

I’d like to see more money put in to women’s programs and grass roots programs regionally, making basketball one of the top played team sports in Australia by women and young girls. This would also make the WNBL players more recognisable.

More ex-female players on the governing boards, as their experience will help advance  the situation for present and future players.

ABBY BISHOP

Former Opal & Canberra Capitals WNBL Captain

2015

My wish for women in basketball for 2015 is to see the WNBL picked up by another broadcaster so that we can continue to push forward for women’s sport in general.

Also for the WNBL so it can continue taking steps forward in making this one of the best leagues in the world, so we can also continue attracting world class players and keeping majority of Australia’s best players, home

2020

My wish for 5 years for women’s basketball in AUS is to have every stadium packed for every game, therefor more media behind women in sport.

The biggest wish for me is to have everyone paid as professional athletes, not just some people paid a pair of shoes and a gym membership, a minimum salary that would see player 1-12 as a professional athlete for the length of the season.

TRACEY GAUDRY

Vice President UCI + Amy Gillett Foundation CEO

2015

My wish for women in cycling is to for the broadcast of elite women’s cycling to continue the growth achieved in 2014, illustrated by the Women’s Road World Cup which was watched by 15 million viewers worldwide (a four-fold increase from the year prior).

We know that effective promotion attracts further investment (into events, teams and athletes) and is a positive motivator to encouraging women and girls to take up cycling

2020

My wish for women in cycling by 2020 is multi-faceted: For women to achieve significant representation and impact in cycling across governance, management and administration, coaching and technical roles; for women athletes to be able to forge a viable career in cycling supported by robust development pathways starting with the encouragement of everyday participation for fun recreation through to elite competition across all disciplines; where investment in women’s professional cycling delivers a global major events calendar and professional team structure – a platform which maximises the spectacle of women’s cycling, attracting further participation and investment.

Photo: Mark Kolbe Getty Images

MEG LANNING

Australian Women’s Cricket “Southern Stars” Captain

2015 

My wish for 2015 is for the Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars to win back the Women’s Ashes title in the UK

2020

My wish is for females to make up 40% of total cricket participants by 2020 (they currently make up 22% of the 1.106 million Australians playing cricket.

SHELLEY WATTS

First Commonwealth Games Women’s Boxing Gold Medallist

2015

In Australia, I would love to see more females register and compete. For me personally, it would be great to gain sponsorship & a higher profile through media. I was lucky to get media coverage during the games, but since then, it’s been minimal.

I would probably like to see an increase in all boxing for media too! Amateur boxing doesn’t receive the coverage it deserves!

I’d love to see a Aussie female boxing magazine or something like that developed to increase the profile of female boxers! Most of us have great stories, and careers and it would be great to showcase all of us.

2020

This one is easy…. For more women’s divisions to be included in the Olympics! At the moment, there are 120 participants in 10 different weight divisions for men in the Olympics. In comparison, there are only 3 women’s weight divisions, which means only 36 female boxers compete at the Olympics.

AIBA (Boxing’s governing body) & the IOC have both said they may increase it, but to have equal number of women to men would be fantastic!

 

STEPH HANCOCK

Australian Women’s Rugby League “Jillaroos” Captain

2015 

TARAH WESTERA

Queensland Rugby League Player + World Cup Winning Jillaroo

2015

My Wish for 2015 is that Women’s Rugby League continues to take serious forward steps and pushes both the NRL and its players to respect their position and importance within the brand. I believe that the Women’s game can widen the scope of followers and interest in this country’s greatest game.

I think there needs to be a serious investment in the future of Women’s Rugby League and a clear pathway and plan.  We are very lucky to have such talented Women but will continue to lose them to other sports as the lure of becoming a professional sports woman is becoming a realistic option for them elsewhere.

I hope the women’s game will be welcomed by the NRL Community and be allowed to showcase as often as possible the value they offer

2020

My Wish for 2020 would be that the athletes of the women’s game can train seriously and have the opportunity to play in the same capacity as the men. That there are real options for women’s players to make a living off the sport they play, love and give their time too.

I hope the NRL is leading the charge for the Women in Sport movement and I hope that participation numbers in the girls game are healthy and growing strong.

I also hope the your Australian Jillaroos are still World Champions.

EMILEE CHERRY

International Women’s Rugby 7s Player of the Year

2015

2015 is an incredibly important year for Rugby Sevens, as it will be the first chance to qualify for the Olympics in 2016. This being said I would like to see an increase in the recognition of the sport and an increase in spectatorship.

The only way the sport is going to grow is if people start supporting the tournaments on the Women’s World Series so it can eventually start making a revenue.

2020

By 2020, I would like to see a lot of things happen to Women’s Rugby sevens, but on top of my list would definitely have to be to increase participation and recognition. This would include an increase in the participation and inclusion of the sport at a school and grassroots level. It is so important for the survival of the sport for it to keep growing and this needs to be targeted at youth level in my opinion.

 

SHANNON PARRY

Australian Women’s Wallaroos + Rugby 7s Captain

2015

My wish for women’s rugby in 2015 is to see an increase in mainstream media coverage promoting the quality of the women’s game and the pathway to the Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.

2020

My wish for five years in women’s rugby would be to see the athletes receive lucrative contracts similar to those of our male counterparts.