It’s only September, but women’s sport has already had a record-breaking and game-changing 2024, building on huge momentum in 2023.
From record crowds at the NRLW State of Origin to Australian women dominating at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, we’ve seen more investment, bigger spectators and community involvement and more opportunities for women than ever before.
Below, in the leadup to the 2024 NRL & NRLW Grand Finals on October 6 and in partnership with The W Club, we share six moments so far from 2024 showcasing the momentum of women’s sport.
NRLW State of Origin
The Maroons and Blues were in “unchartered territory” this year: never before had an NRLW State of Origin series gone to a Game III decider.
But with the series drawn at 1-1 at the end of Game II, it was pushed into a deciding match.
After Queensland’s Game II win, Maroons campaign Ali Brigginshaw was thrilled the tournament was headed for a decider.
“We’ve wanted this for so many years,” Brigginshaw said, “and finally, for both teams, we’ve been able to achieve it.”
It wasn’t the only history-making moment from the 2024 State of Origin series. The opening match in Newcastle was played in front of a crowd of 25,492 – nearly double the crowd of the 2023 opening match (12,972).
This year’s State of Origin also saw “one of the best individual tries” of the tournament, according to NRL commentator Peter Psaltis.
That try came from Titans winger and Blues star Jaime Chapman. Playing in her second State of Origin of her career, the 22-year-old Gomeroi woman ran an impressive 80 metres on her own to score.
“Chapman, what a sight in full flight,” Psaltis said while commentating at the series opener – just nine minutes into the match.
“One of the great athletes in rugby league, scored one of the best individual tries we have seen in any Origin.”
This season, Chapman has scored three tries for her club, the Gold Coast Titans. She’s made 45 tackles, five line breaks and has run a total of 790 metres.
Women athletes in Paris
This year’s Olympic Games was Australia’s most successful campaign to date – largely thanks to our female athletes.
Australia left Paris with 18 Olympic gold medals, 13 of them won by women. The Paralympic team collected 18 medals, with 11 won by women para athletes.
The 2024 Paris Games were the first in history to be gender equal, with a 50/50 gender split of competitors at the games. In another Olympic first, athletes had access to a nursery in the Olympic Village, meaning parents were able to stay close to their children as they prepared and competed in the Games.
While usually the Olympic Games coe to a close with the men’s marathon, this year’s tournament finished with the women’s marathon. The route of the 42km run followed the same route of the Women’s March on Versailles in 1789, where women and men marched for equal rights.
Mums returning to the game
What’s tougher – elite sport, or motherhood?
At this year’s Olympic Games, three-time Olympian and Australian waterpolo player Keesja Gofers competed in her first Games as a mother, having given birth to her daughter sixteen months ago.
As Gofers told Women’s Agenda at the time, there were logistical challenges she wasn’t expecting to face, emotional challenges that took a lot to get through, and special moments with her daughter that she’ll never forget.
The difficulties of juggling motherhood and elite sport make it all the more impressive when women who become mothers return to sport.
Increasingly, we’re seeing more women combining professional sport with motherhood, across individual and team sports internationally, as well as in our biggest competitions nationally.
In July, Sam Bremner came out of retirement to return to the Sydney Roosters for the remainder of the 2024 NRLW season. The 32-year-old fullback retired in January 2023 to have her third child, but returned after her teammate Corban Baxter suffered an ACL injury.
Shanice Parker is another NRLW player balancing motherhood and professional sport. The 26-year-old was named Knights NRLW Player of the year in 2022 – just months after giving birth to her baby – and is having another cracker of a season.
Investment in women’s sport
Women’s sport is predicted to top $US1 billion in global revenue this year, as governments, organisations and people invest more and more in the game.
But we can expect to see even more global revenue in the years to come.
One of the biggest individual investments we’ve seen this year came from Michele Kang, American business owner and owner of global sports organisation Kynisca Sports.
At the end of the 2024 Paris Olympics, Kang announced she would be investing $50 million USD ($77 million AUD) into women’s sport through Kynisca.
In Australia, the federal government has also announced further financial support to grow women’s sport, including through the $200 million Play Our Way program and the $36 million Empowering Women and Girls in Sport program.
Earlier this month, the government also launched the National Gender Equity in Sport Governance Policy, mandating national sporting organisations to have gender-equal boards and leadership by 2027 or the government will withhold funding for the organisation.
Elsewhere, celebrities are picking up women’s sports teams, with rapper and founding member of Public Enemy Flavor Flav made international headlines with a five-year sponsorship deal to boost the profile of women in the USA Water Polo organisation.
These investment all demonstrate that while women’s sport has made leaps and bounds in 2024, the game is far from over.
Australia gets its first women’s sports bar
Rose Valente opened the doors to Australia first sports bar for women in August, a place designed for women to come together and enjoy watching women’s sport.
Launching The Ladies Leauge on Oxtford St in Sydney, Valente told Women’s Agenda the bar is within walking distance of the SCG and Allianz Stadium, allowing fans to trickle out of games and into the bar.
She also knows the launch reflects the growing business opportunities available in women’s sport, including for entrepreneurs like herself.
“The women’s sport community is so strong, it’s so wholesome, it’s so supportive,” she said.
Big firsts and massive deals for women’s sport
Overseas, 2024 has already brought a wide array of significant firsts for women’s sport as well as some huge number deals.
In basketball, the WNBA announced a new media rights agreement in July, averaging US$200 million annually and worth a whopping US$2.2 billion over 11 years – with an opportunity for further increased earnings. The deal comes as some WNBA teams experienced completely sold out season tickets prior to the league’s official start in May
In the National Women’s Soccer League in the US, Angel City FC was snapped up by Walt Disney CEO Bob Iger and his wife Willow Bay for a record-smashing $373 million, seeing it become the most valuable professional women’s sports team in the world. The deal eclipsed the previous recordof $179.5 million for San Diego Wave, sold in March this year.
In England, the Independent Women’s Professional Leagues Ltd has officially been formed, seeing the top two leagues in English women’s football breaking away from the Football Association. It comes after the Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship voted unanimously to establish the new organisation focused on developing and marketing the women’s game.
Some incredible first for women internationally and so far in 2024 include ultrarunner Jasmin Paris becoming the first woman to finish the toughest running race in the world – a race that was previously considered “impossible” for women. Ninety year old Emma Maria Mazzenga became the first in her age category to run 200 metres in less than a minute. German strongwoman Sandra Bradley becoming the first woman to lift a 154kg stone in Iceland, and British swimmer Sam Farrow broke the world record for the fastest swim across a 72.8 kilometre stretch of Lake Geneva.
Finally, some big firsts for women’s sport from Australian women that you may have missed include Bree Walker becoming Australia’s most successful bobsledder of all time and earning the first ever World Cup gold medal for Australia. And sailor Lisa Blair, who became the first person to solo sail around New Zealand in under 17 days in May,
The W Club offers an opportunity to call out the continued success of women in sport and business at the NRL & NRLW Telstra Premiership Grand Final 2024, with a premium food and beverage package and exclusive hospitality. This is a chance to elevate your game day with an exclusive on-field NRLW experience before sitting back to take in the action from the Centreline seat to witness the ultimate 2024 season conclusion. Secure your spot by contacting NRL hospitality on (02) 9359 8600 or email [email protected]