SYDNEY: Women footballers playing for Australia’s national team will earn the same as their male counterparts under a deal unveiled Wednesday and hailed as landmark for gender equality in sport.
Under a new centralized contract system announced by Football Federation Australia (FFA), Matildas stars such as Sam Kerr and Ellie Carpenter will be paid an equal amount as big-name Socceroos like Aaron Mooy and Mat Ryan.
They will also be afforded business class flights to international fixtures and tournaments, like the men.
The breakthrough will be a big boost for America’s women footballers, who have filed an equal pay lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation due to be heard in May next year.
The United States triumphed at the Women’s World Cup in France this year with chants of “equal pay” ringing out after they defeated the Netherlands in the final.
“Football is the game for everyone, and this new collective bargaining agreement is another huge step toward ensuring that we live the values of equality, inclusivity and opportunity,” said FFA chairman Chris Nikou.
Under the four-year deal, through the next World Cup cycles, the Socceroos and Matildas will receive a 24 percent share of national team revenues, rising by one percent each year.
In other words, the better they do, the more they get paid.
FFA chief David Gallop said it was the “Socceroos’ choice to share the revenue,” and national captain Mark Milligan said women were getting “what they deserve.”
“It’s been clear for everybody how much the women’s game has grown over the past few years and how well our Matildas have been doing,” he said, adding that the success of the World Cup in France, where the Matildas were knocked out on penalties in the last 16, underscored this.
“It really drove home for me in these negotiations that they got what they deserved. Going forward, what a value they are to the Australian football community.”
From the national revenues, the players have agreed to plow five percent back into Australian youth national teams, guaranteeing a minimum level of investment for future generations.
There has also been an increase from 30 to 40 percent in players’ share of prize money earned on qualifying for a World Cup.
Matildas midfielder Elize Kellond-Knight said the deal showed “respect” toward women.
“As a female footballer, it’s kind of what we always dreamed of,” she said.
It follows a more general deal struck earlier this year that will see all professional female footballers in Australia receive the same minimum wage as their male counterparts.
Professional Footballers Australia chief John Didulica called the agreement “unique” in world football.
“We believe it sets the model for where all federations and players — male and female — can take the game to unlock the incredible social and commercial opportunity that, in particular, women’s football presents,” he said.
Australia has emerged as a champion for equality in the sports arena with netballers and women cricketers also winning better pay deals in recent years.
Earlier this year, 17 sporting chief executives in Australia all threw their weight behind a drive to close the pay gap and advance all aspects of women’s sport.
Only last month, the International Cricket Council announced a 320 percent increase in prize money for the women’s Twenty20 World Cup in Australia next year.
It still left women earning less than men at a similar tournament, prompting Cricket Australia to pledge it would make up the difference to ensure parity with the men’s winnings for its team.
A handful of other sports have also moved to address gender inequality, with the World Surf League for the first time this year paying equal prize money following a backlash on social media.
Tennis was a leader in introducing equal pay for women at the Grand Slams, with the Williams sisters among the most outspoken on pay parity.
Australia’s women footballers get landmark equal pay deal
Australia’s women footballers get landmark equal pay deal
- Matildas stars such as Sam Kerr and Ellie Carpenter will be paid an equal amount as big-name Socceroos like Aaron Mooy and Mat Ryan
- The breakthrough will be a big boost for America’s women footballers, who have filed an equal pay lawsuit
Eala storms to victory over world No. 8 Jasmine Paolini in Dubai
- Filipino favorite claims her first top-10 scalp, beating Italian opponent in front of a raucous crowd at Dubai Duty Free Tennis Stadium
- Australian Open champion Rybakina returns to her adopted home city and makes light work of Australia’s Kimberly Birrell
DUBAI: Roared on by a rapturous Kabayan-majority crowd, Filipino sensation Alexandra Eala overpowered world No. 8 Jasmine Paolini 6-1, 7-6(5) at the Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships on Tuesday night.
Eala, 20, secured her first career win against a top-10 player and set up a last-16 clash with Romanian veteran Sorana Cirstea.
With John Lennon’s “Imagine” playing quietly in the nearby Irish Village pre-match, Eala’s supporters were happy to dream.
Eala is the highest-ranked Filipina in history at world No. 47. With considerable talent, mental strength, and a determination that saw her edge a tiebreak against a vastly more experienced opponent, the girl from Quezon City looks destined to see her dreams fulfilled.
With her right thigh heavily bandaged, Eala showed little early signs of discomfort. Paolini, who enjoyed strong support here during her 2024 title win, seemed to feel the sold-out crowd were not wishing her quite so well this time.
Eala appeared to sense it too, immediately giving her supporters plenty reason to cheer, breaking her opponent twice in quick succession to go 5-1 up before serving out the set to kick-start wild celebrations.
As good as Eala was, Paolini hit seven unforced errors in the opening set, and let her chin sink further into her chest as every error was greeted with cheers.
“I think today I came out on fire,” said Eala. “She’s a great opponent obviously being top 10. To be able to compete with her at this level is a great achievement for me.
“She is an incredible fighter, to be sure, but I was very focused and I was able to maintain that throughout the whole match. Every time the opportunity arose, I tried my best to be brave and go for my ball.”
In the second set, with Eala 5-3 up, a comfortable straight-sets win looked certain. However, the Filipina failed to convert three match points in the ninth game before failing to serve out the contest in the 10th.
Paolini rallied to take the match to 6-5 and even twice had the chance to force a third set but also failed to capitalize. In the resultant tiebreak, Eala upped her level once more to secure a monumental career win.
Cue raucous celebrations both inside the 5,000-capacity stadium and outside in the tennis village, where Filipinos had congregated to watch on beanbags surrounded by the nation’s flags and signs reading “Laban Alex!” (“Fight Alex!”) and “Let’s go Alex!”
“I looked up and there were Filipinos for days,” Eala said, smiling. “It’s really such a blessing to be able to play in these sorts of atmospheres.
“I am really privileged and thankful that I’m able to introduce this new sporting world, women’s tennis, to a new demographic. I think they’re really enjoying it and I hope it will inspire young girls and women of all ages to take up sports.”
Eala will return to center court on Wednesday when she faces Cirstea, who earlier in the day beat Linda Noskova 6-1, 6-4.
“She’s a very experienced player and physically very fit,” said Eala of the Romanian. “I’m excited. Everybody at this stage really wants to continue and I’m not an exception to that.”
Earlier in the evening, another popular figure in Dubai enjoyed strong support. Elena Rybakina, resident in the emirate and taking to the main stage for the first time since winning last month’s Australian Open, looked at ease beating Australian qualifier Kimberly Birrell.
Racing to a 5-0 lead in 20 minutes, the Kazakh, 26, dropped just one point across the first three games and looked imperious as she closed out the opening set 6-1.
Birrell was unable to deal with Rybakina’s powerful serve, and a delicateness at the net that left her opponent stretching and shuttling, but ultimately always coming up short.
“To return well is an important part of the game,” said Rybakina.
“Sometimes I have days when it is really working well for me and some days it is more difficult, it also depends a lot on the opponent. Where I have the best control is my serve because no one is playing to you, it’s your pace.”
The No. 1 seed this week, Rybakina went on another five-game winning run in the second set to open a 5-1 lead. Birrell, more than 90 places below her in the WTA World Rankings, held serve in the seventh, but two-time Grand Slam winner Rybakina served for the match to win 6-1, 6-2.
“I’m happy I stayed solid and won this in straight sets,” the 2022 Wimbledon champion said. “I spend so much time in Dubai that it feels like home.
“A lot of people who work here (at this tournament) always say, ‘Welcome back’ and ‘Welcome home’ so it always feels nice. It’s a really nice atmosphere on the court, and I always get a lot of support, so it’s great to play here. I would love to have a little bit longer here with maybe a day between.”
Rybakina’s next opponent will be lucky loser Antonia Ruzic, who has completed three back-to-back three-set battles to reach the last 16, including Monday’s epic win over British No. 1 Emma Raducanu.
“I don’t know much about her,” said Rybakina of Ruzic. “I have never played against her, so I will need to talk to my team and do the usual routine.”
Two-time Dubai winner Elina Svitolina also progressed to the last 16 and will now face Belinda Bencic, also on Wednesday. Ukrainian Svitolina, champion here in 2017 and 2018, moved through after Dubai-based Paula Badosa retired at the start of the second set having lost the first 4-6.
