It has been four years since a crowd of 86,174 packed the MCG for the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup. It was a record for the biggest turnout at a women’s sport game in Australia and for women’s cricket in the world. Later in the same year, Australia, along with neighbours New Zealand, won the bid to host the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup. When the event came along in July 2023, the Matildas mania swept across the country and all sorts of records were smashed. More than 1.7 million tickets were sold for the event. Stadium Australia in Sydney had a capacity crowd of 75,784 for four games. The Matildas’ semi-final against England was watched by over 11 million Australians, making it the highest rating TV program on record.
While Australians have embraced the Matildas and other female athletes also enjoy unprecedented popularity, women still remain under-represented in sports administration, especially in leadership and governance positions.
Melbourne University Sport stands apart from other sporting organisations with eight out of 11 of its board members being women. While the representation of women amongst the full-time and on-going staff is under 50%, the number has been on a constant rise. Sport Competitions Coordinator Maddy Goldsmith, who has been working at MU Sport since 2019, has loved seeing the number of her women colleagues grow. “I no longer have to beg the three women in the office to play in my mixed campus sport teams because we have a much bigger pool to choose from!!”
Ahead of this International Women’s Day, we asked the wonder(ful) women in our team a few questions to get to know them and their connection with sport better.
Toni Sutherland - Executive Support Officer
What is your favourite memory of a woman in sport?
Local Hero Jas Fleming getting drafted by Hawthorn pick #2 at the 2022 AFLW draft and then watching her play her first AFLW game.
A favourite moment from your time at MU Sport?
My daily walks around the perimeter of the cricket oval are always a highlight.
What do you envision for the future of women working or playing in sport?
The flow-on effect of representation and money. Equal pay for women’s teams regardless of ticket/advertising sales revenue. Having this money filtering down to support ground-level sports will then lead to helping more girls stay in sport during their later teen years.
How does it feel to be surrounded by other women at MU Sport?
So much fun… and inspiring.
Maddy Goldsmith - Sport Competitions Coordinator
Who is your female sporting inspiration/hero?
Ellyse Perry – she is an incredible athlete who has represented Australia in cricket and soccer, but she is also an incredibly marketable athlete. She has been an absolute pillar throughout big changes in the financial aspects of women’s sport and has also been the face of some huge sporting brands, showing that it’s not just male athletes who can sell.
What do you like the most about working in sport in general and particularly at MU Sport?
I love the reward of working in sport. I love seeing the value and enjoyment that it brings to people’s lives and particularly at MU Sport, how our sport brings students a sense of belonging and genuinely fosters relationships that many students wouldn’t otherwise find.
A highlight or favourite moment from your time at MU Sport?
I will never forget the start of the 2022 Women’s hockey grand final where we had both teams warming up but only one College’s spectators on the sideline, wondering where everyone else was. Two minutes before the game was due to start, we heard bagpipes start playing in the distance and all of a sudden, a sea of 500+ Ormond College students marched over the hill from College to the hockey pitch, led by a band of three students playing the bagpipes that could be heard across the entire sports precinct. The sea continued to march, at bagpipe pace, until they had lapped around the pitch, ready to cheer on the College team.
What do you envision for the future of women working or playing in sport?
I would love to see a future where women sports administrators are equally represented across all sports and leadership positions and we no longer say ‘the first woman to lead the organisation’, etc.
Ange La Scala - Group Fitness Coordinator
Who is your female sporting inspiration/hero?
Jayne Torvill – British professional ice dancer
What is your favourite memory of a woman in sport?
Watching Kerryn McCann win the Commonwealth Games Marathon at Melbourne 2006 with my sons was such an inspiring moment in sport. She lost her battle with cancer three years later.
What do you like the most about working in sport in general and particularly at MU Sport?
The people and connection that brings people to this industry.
How does it feel to be surrounded by other women at MU Sport?
Comforting.
Christina Karayannis - Facilities Development and Maintenance Coordinator
Who is your female sporting inspiration/hero?
Evonne Goolagong Cawley – a Wiradjuri woman and winner of seven Grand Slam singles titles, she is one of my favourite female tennis players, whose career I have followed since I was a child.
What is your favourite memory of a woman in sport?
When Cathy Freeman won the gold medal in the 400-metre sprint at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney in her aerodynamic body suit. It was such a momentous occasion for Australian sport as she became the first Australian Aboriginal person to win an individual Olympic Gold medal.
What do you like the most about working in sport in general and particularly at MU Sport?
I love working at MU Sport mostly because of the sense of community, with likeminded people coming together in different roles with the same shared goal of providing wonderful facilities for individuals and community members to be able participate and enjoy sport.
How does it feel to be surrounded by other women at MU Sport?
The women that I work with at MU Sport are strong, supportive, and inspirational. I feel very fortunate to have connected with these women and worked closely with many of them.
Erin Riley - Events Coordinator
Who is your female sporting inspiration/hero?
It’s cheesy, but my sister Sally. Growing up together, I always wanted to be like her and followed in her footsteps, having a crack at any sport. To then be able to watch her AFLW journey, juggling a full-time career with elite sport, alongside the ups, the downs, the commitment, and the resilience of a professional athlete navigating the start of a new competition was incredible.
What do you like the most about working in sport in general and at MU Sport?
I love being able to provide opportunities to others and expose individuals to the many different aspects of the sporting world.
What do you envision for the future of women working or playing in sport?
Women and men playing sport alongside each other without any questions/pushback and no ‘W’ added to the competition name. Take elite sport for example, game day would consist of a double header with both teams playing to the same sized crowd, in the biggest stadiums available.
How does it feel to be surrounded by other women at MU Sport?
It is fantastic to work alongside so many wonderful women at MU Sport. Everyone has their own stories and journeys and I love being able to interact and learn from incredible people every day who shine in their own respective ways.
Sally Phillips - Sport Development Manager
Who is your female sporting inspiration/hero?
As a young baller my hero was always Michele Timms. She played with speed, skill and passion, leading from the front – the epitome of what I thought a leader should be. I really thought she was the best thing since sliced bread! Fast forward a few years and I’d then find myself competing against Michele in the WNBL, battling the nerves and trying to stay calm as I’d be called upon to play directly against my hero.
What is your favourite memory of a woman in sport?
It would be my mum! She played in married women’s comp basketball and I absolutely loved watching her play. Mum was a real leader on the court. She played with passion and determination and never backed down. She was probably my first example of what a courageous woman looked like and something I would try to emulate when I started to play, and what I do now as I continue to work in sport. I thought my Mum was the absolute best!
What do you like the most about working in sport in general and particularly at MU Sport?
I’ve always been driven to work in sport because I want to make ‘the game’ better for all those who come after me and leave a legacy. I’m quite relentless and tenacious in my approach to advocating for fair and inclusive environments for anyone and everyone involved in sport.
Mannhar Kaur - Digital Marketing Coordinator
What do you like the most about working in sport in general and particularly at MU Sport?
I like having agency. I grew up thinking that being a woman in sport can be limiting, but being where I am now, I like having a say in meetings, sharing my opinions and feeling like I'm being heard.
Is there a highlight or favourite moment from your time at MU Sport you would like to share?
A standout for me was when I was working on a campaign to reinvigorate our Strong Women Mentorship Program numbers to pre-covid levels alongside former Winter Olympian Sophie Ash. I reached out to Hannah Kuhar, Fox Sport Producer and professional netballer, to share her story of having been a former mentee and mentor with the program. Within minutes of her speaking, it dawned on me just how powerful it is to have a community of women backing each other. Hannah's enthusiasm to tell her story showed that we have support, we just have to seek it. It made me think "It takes change to get women into sport and a community to keep us in it". The takeaway from this project was that there was as much success as humility in the room.
What do you envision for the future of women working or playing in sport?
More moments like the ones we had during the Matildas’ run at the FIFA Women's World Cup. People across age groups, races, ethnicities and sporting interests got behind the Matildas craze. Male athletes also began advocating for the women, and the best thing was that it was all organic and natural. Using inclusive language, that shows the world we don't come second, can make all the difference and that is one change I would like to see. There are many times a female athlete breaks a record that transcends gender but the title still reads 'First Female Athlete to do ...'. There are also other times female athletes are asked more questions about their clothes, appearance and family life than their sport. It's a pattern that needs to change and the power to do that lies in the communicators of today and tomorrow – the journalists, spokespersons, and presenters.
How does it feel to be surrounded by other women at MU Sport?
“I'm one of the youngest at the office. I'm also one of the few that aren't from Australia, which is why I think I feel the female presence more than anyone else. Having women at MU Sport means there's always someone looking out for you. My female colleagues have this nurturing approach to every conversation and it makes me feel so comfortable as someone who has just started out as an early career professional. Hearing validation from my female colleagues about my work empowers me to do more, to continue to show up and do better.”