AC Women and Girls Action Plan

women and girls

Action Plan

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

01. CONTEXT &

02. OUR ACTION PLAN

A SPORT FOR ALL

THE GROWTH OF CRICKET AS A SPORT FOR WOMEN AND GIRLS IS ONE OF THE GREAT SUCCESS STORIES OF AUSTRALIAN SPORT

Even with all the progress, there are so many opportunities for further development and much work to do. Now is the time to think big, renew our focus and accelerate momentum to be the leading sport for women and girls.

Those of us privileged to be among the 86,174 people who packed the MCG for the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in 2020 understand the possibilities for women’s cricket in this country.

Cricket as a sport for women and girls has a long and proud history, with the first recorded women’s match in Australia taking place in 1874 and the first women’s Test Match played in 1934. Notwithstanding this long and proud history, the last decade in particular, has seen increased opportunities, investment, coverage and support for elite female cricketers. This has resulted in corresponding success by Australian teams on the world stage, creation of the world leading WBBL and increased profile for our inspirational role models, helping drive a surge in the number of women’s teams and female participation at community level. We are also exceptionally proud that following the last MOU, our elite players are by far the highest paid female team sport athletes in Australia.

We stand on the shoulders of giants. As we imagine the future, we are inspired by and grateful for the pioneering leadership of players, officials, administrators and volunteers who have continually pushed the boundaries and broken down barriers while advocating for equal opportunities in cricket.

The Women and Girls Action Plan is one of four complimentary action plans supporting Australian Cricket’s current five-year strategic plan and follows the release of our Multicultural Action Plan in December last year.

This plan is based on research and engagement across the Australian Cricket network and draws heavily on the lived experience of women and girls performing prominent roles as senior administrators, elite and community level players, officials and club volunteers.

With momentous occasions coming up, including the prospect of cricket at the Los Angeles 2028 and Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games and the centenary of the Women’s Ashes in 2034, this action plan comprises a set of ten ambitious and high-impact actions over a ten-year time horizon to focus the entire Australian Cricket network on realising the full potential of cricket as a sport for women and girls.

The Women and Girls Action Plan will help drive many practical initiatives. This will include more balanced gender representation across all facets of the sport and more playing opportunities at every level. We will also realise the full commercial value of elite female cricket (both international and WBBL) to drive sustainable reinvestment and growth, by scheduling more matches in primetime windows, attracting big crowds at major stadiums and developing new and imaginative brand and government partnerships. Most importantly, we want to ensure all cricket environments are as welcoming as possible so that more women and girls develop a lifelong love of the game, be that as a participant or fan.

We truly believe that these actions and strategic investments will strengthen cricket and help drive broader positive social impact across the community.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to the development of this action plan for your leadership and to everyone across the game for your continued work, advocacy and support which will be crucial in bringing it to life.

We look forward to reporting on progress and encourage further feedback as we work together to achieve our vision to be a sport for all that makes Australians proud.

Thank you.

Nick Hockley Chief Executive

INSPIRING THE NEXT GENERATION

In

the past ten years society has made progress in many different areas of equality. To a large extent, sport holds a place at the forefront of this development, presenting a visible and progressive platform to further enhance the opportunities for all individuals to participate.

Sport at its very best is inclusive of everyone wanting to be involved - be that playing, officiating or administering. It is the contribution of many that makes our sporting communities such vital and vibrant cogs in the health of our society.

The rapid growth of women’s sport across the globe has seen an unprecedented increase in the participation of women in sport. In Australia, this growth has not only opened up new opportunities for half of our population to participate in sport, but also provided new streams of development, growth, revenue and investment for sporting organisations, and brand-new kinds of entertainment, news and events for sporting fans to follow – regardless of their gender.

On a personal note, the chance to experience this change has been truly phenomenal. To list the changes would be a lengthy exercise, but to note a fewinternational competition was once limited to a small number of competitions a year, now we play almost all year round. Domestic and international players trained after work hours and were not remunerated, now we train full-time and are paid as full-time athletes. There were very, very few televised matches and next to no media coverage, now all international fixtures and leagues are televised each year and many of our women cricketers are well known by the public.

Cricket Australia has been at the forefront of development for women in sport, providing some of the best opportunities to players both at a junior development level and for our elite professional players who receive arguably the best level of resourcing and remuneration of any sportswomen in the country. Cricket Australia has also been proactive in encouraging women and girls to participate across multiple platforms, growing opportunities for officials and administrators and developing strong leadership in both these areas.

Despite the great progress over the last decade, it is still very much our aspiration to ensure further growth and opportunity so that future generations experience a sport that is even more inclusive.

The Women and Girls Action Plan has become a central initiative to coordinate, innovate and set the direction for the next ten years of growth and development. It encompasses participation, fandom, high performance, representation and commercial aspects of the game and is a practical and crucial strategy that aims to ensure the future prospects for women and, significantly, for the game as a whole over the next ten years.

If I could take a selfish view, one of the goals of the plan is to see our best stadiums filled with fans for our matches on a regular basis. Supporters are starting to come out in droves to watch women’s sport, as we saw during the FIFA Women’s World Cup and more recently the WPL in India where stadiums were regularly filled to capacity. I would love a seat at women’s cricket to be one of the most sought after tickets in the country, and I firmly believe we have the motivation and impetus to achieve this.

I appreciate that there are many, many other important aspects of development and probably none more so than at our grassroots level, which is the heartbeat of any sport. But I mention the stadiums because I think a full stadium encompasses a sport that has achieved many of its other key areas of development. One that has reached the point where people turn out in droves and the sport (and its athletes) are accepted and admired by the mainstream public.

A full stadium represents a sport that is inclusive, innovative and cohesive.

It has been a great pleasure to have the chance to have input and involvement in this plan which has seen collaboration from the best leaders across the entire cricket community. Something I have learnt and believe in from playing this wonderful sport since my childhood, is that we are at our strongest and achieve the most when we do not perceive or make any distinction between those we stand alongside. Women’s cricket is unique and presents us with opportunities that will take the entire game forward. At the same time, it is and always has been a natural fit in the existing cricket landscape. After all, we did invent overarm bowling! So, it is to the benefit of the entire game that women’s cricket continues to grow, and this is our chance to ensure the brightest of futures for all of cricket.

Ellyse Perry Australian Cricketer

executive summary

As part of the Australian Cricket Strategic Plan 2022-2027, we are committed to ensuring that cricket is a sport for all that makes Australians proud.

This action plan, one of four outlined in the strategic plan, will help guide initiatives that will ensure participation in all areas of cricket by women and girls continues to grow.

THE CONTINUED GROWTH OF WOMEN AND GIRLS’ PARTICIPATION IN ALL AREAS IS VITAL

Women and girls now constitute 12.5% of registered players including more than 25% of Woolworths Cricket Blast participants, while involvement in areas including administration, match-day officialdom, coaching and volunteerism continues to rise. While the past decade in particular has seen significant progress, women and girls are still significantly underrepresented in the game, so there is much work to do and significant further opportunities to progress gender equality in all facets of the game. Having led the way in Australian sport with our investment in women and girls’ cricket we must continue the momentum. This clear and comprehensive plan will accelerate growth and inclusivity across Australian Cricket.

THE EXPERIENCE AND EXPERTISE OF WOMEN IS KEY TO UNDERSTANDING CHALLENGES

The lived experience of women and girls in all areas of Australian Cricket is a significant component of this plan through both direct consultation and the research and data that underpins key findings. This insight tells us the game has made substantial strides, but that we will still have much work to do to reach our goals in areas such as participation, inclusivity and maximising commercial returns.

ACTIONS AND FOCUS AREAS THAT WILL DRIVE CHANGE

The plan outlines 10 clear actions that will drive the changes that will enable us to achieve our objectives. These are split across five key aspirations developed by leaders and experts from across Australian Cricket and rigorously tested in Australian communities.

OUR OBJECTIVES

CHANGE THE GAME

Seize the opportunity to drive greater women and girls participation from the playing field to the Board room. By doing so we can not only achieve beneficial change in cricket but also in the communities where our game is played.

INSPIRE A GENERATION

Fully employ the inspirational impact of our players, administrators, match officials and volunteers to encourage a new generation of Australians to play, attend and follow cricket as their sport of choice.

BREAK DOWN BARRIERS

Identify and understand the barriers that discourage women and girls from entering Australian Cricket and develop a coherent and actionable plan to confront these challenges and guard against further obstruction.

WINNING ON AND OFF THE FIELD

Aggressively drive growth in commercial returns to ensure this accurately reflects the value of women’s cricket and allows us to maintain and enhance investment so we remain a world leader in women’s sport.

The Action plan

OUR ASPIRATIONS OUR KEY ACTIONS

PARTICIPATION

Acclaimed sport of choice for women and girls in Australia

REPRESENTATION

Influential leaders across Australian Cricket, inspiring the next generation

HIGH PERFORMANCE

The best cricket teams in the world, with global superstars that transcend the sport and inspire

FANDOM

The most supported teams with the best players in the best stadiums, underpinned by a world leading schedule that provides equity for our women’s teams

COMMERCIAL

Thriving commercial products, generating revenues that sustain the sport

• Accelerate growth with a renewed focus on retention as players progress through cricket.

• Scalable social formats and increased investment into facilities to enable more flexible options of where, when and how to play.

• Ensure at least 40% women in leadership roles across Australian Cricket through targeted recruitment and development.

• Bespoke programs to attract, support and retain volunteers to key roles including committees, coaching and umpiring.

• Increase playing opportunities for our professional players, through a fully aligned pathway.

• Greater investment in professional and personal development for players and support staff.

Deliver brilliant experiences and blockbuster matches played in more accessible time slots.

• Raise the profiles of our inspirational role models through unparalleled storytelling.

• Grow audience and deliver big crowds in big stadiums more often.

• New and imaginative partnerships with brands, governments and other organisations.

WHAT ALL THIS MEANS FOR OUR COMMUNITY

AUSTRALIANS

Feel proud and represented by the national teams that take to the field

ELITE PLAYERS

Are supported and able to achieve their full potential, no matter their background

EMPLOYEES

Are energised by their role and supported to fulfill their aspirations, with representation at all levels

FANS

Select cricket as their sport of choice, supporting national and W/BBL teams year round

THE

VOLUNTEERS

Are encouraged to play an active role in their clubs and take on committee roles

PARTICIPANTS

Play the game when and how they want, knowing they are welcome and supported

DIVERSE GIRLS

Feel cricket is the best sport for them, whether playing, attending or following

PARTNERS

Share our commitment to delivering a sport for all, and support our communities

How we will get there

ACTION PLAN

HORIZON DESCRIPTION

KEY MILESTONES

HORIZON 1 2024 - 2027

Accelerate participation in all aspects of women and girls’ cricket

Introduce and grow social formats to drive growth in women and girls’ participation

Work with clubs to align growth targets with infrastructure plans and investment

Deliver volunteer recruitment campaigns and development opportunities for entrylevel and pathway coaches and umpires

Launch new T20 domestic competition

Targeted recruitment and development programs in underrepresented administrative roles

LEGEND PARTICIPATION REPRESENTATION

HIGH PERFORMANCE FANDOM COMMERCIAL

Host 90th anniversary women’s Ashes Test at the MCG; expand WBBL Stadium Series and schedule more women’s international matches in marquee venues

Create and deliver enhanced match experience at women’s internationals

Enhance capability to maximise commercial return from women’s cricket

HORIZON 2 2027 - 2030

Establish cricket as a sport of choice for women and girls in Australia

HORIZON 3 2030 - 2034

Australia’s leading women’s sport by revenue, team performance and remuneration

Enable and empower cricket clubs and associations to drive the cultural change through additional support and training

Deliver infrastructure in key locations to develop more facilities for women and girls

Enhance cricket’s reputation as an inclusive employer of choice for women through industry leading workplace policies and gender pay gap

Ensure cricket remains the highest paid women’s team sport in Australia in the next MOU

Deliver full on and off field merchandise range for Women’s International/WBBL including increased at match availability

Create standalone women’s cricket consumer offerings including WBBL memberships

Negotiate new and imaginative commercial partnerships which reflect the sustained growth and enhanced value of women’s cricket

Promote cricket’s opportunities and advantages including Olympic and Paralympic participation, WBBL and elite pathways to attract and retain participants

Use enhanced data and analytics to create initiatives that address remaining underrepresentation

Extend talent programs and development opportunities, and promote cricket’s status as an inclusive employer of choice

Increase holistic support for pathway athletes including increased physical, mental and off-field skill development

All women’s international matches played in stadiums and a minimum of 11 stadium fixtures across the WBBL

A dedicated media rights deal for women’s cricket reflecting audience growth

Leverage Brisbane Olympics and Paralympics to maximise commercial partnerships and unique value

Context AND Background

celebrating

A DECADE OF ACHIEVEMENTS

2014

47k registered participants were women and girls

2024

80k registered participants are women and girls

2014

Women’s teams not as prioritised as men’s

2024

One of the world’s most successful sporting teams

2014

No regular broadcasts –not part of TV rights deal

2024

All elite women’s cricket broadcast 6.9m watching women’s cricket

2014

No Women’s Big Bash League

2024

Completed 9 x WBBL seasons and introduced WBBL draft

2014

Few household names and perception as a ‘male sport’

2024

Many household names and ‘heroes’

2014

Semi-professional int’l players; not professional domestic (not part of MOU)

2014

Conscious gender bias in decision making and hiring employees

2024

3.8% Gender Pay Gap – leading the sports industry

2014 96 Umpires

2024

MOU uplift, highest paid women athletes in Australian sport. Full time players

2024

237 Umpires

Claire Polosak and Eloise Sheridan first women Sheffield Shield Umpires

Over the past ten years women and girls cricket has grown significantly. Our research shows that 70% of Aussies watch more women’s sport compared with five years ago, almost double the number of women and girls are registered players, women’s elite tournaments are now regularly broadcast on TV, and CA’s women’s cricket online channels have attracted millions of followers.

Governments are investing millions in women’s sports and two of Australia’s most well-known organisations continue to sponsor the women’s game – Commonwealth Bank and Weber. Globally, women’s elite sport is expected to generate more than $1 billion in revenue in 2024 – a 300% increase on three years ago (Deloitte).

We’ve come long way, yet there is still much to do to for cricket to continue leading the way for women and girls sports in Australia.

State of play

PARTICIPATION

25K 5-12 year old girls were registered to play cricket in Australia in 2022-23

80K

women and girls registered to play cricket in 2022-3, taking part across all formats and both social and formal cricket

$100M Infrastructure investment

More than $100m has been invested in specific women’s facilities and infrastructure over the past decade

MEN

WOMEN

Women in leading cricket administrative roles in 2024 68% Boards 32% Boards 66% Exec Teams 34% Exec Teams

3.8%

HIGH PERFORMANCE REPRESENTATION

90%

Leading Community Roles

10%

Leading Community Roles

Median Gender Pay Gap

With a gender pay gap of 3.8% as of March 2024, Cricket Australia has the leading gender pay gap of Australian

20% of players in the ICC Top 20 ranked players are from Australia as of March 2024, across T20is and ODIs for batting, bowling and all rounders

0.7

full time equivalent for all domestic women’s players in Australia, with Australian Cricket the highest paying sport for sportswomen in Australia as of March 2024. National players are full time professionals.

75% of ICC Tournaments in the last 10 years have been won by the Australian National Team

FANDOM AND COMMERCIAL

5.9M

Fans of women’s cricket are estimated to be in Australia as of the latest fan data and post match surveys from 2024

2.5M

Cricket fans who are women and girls are estimated to be in Australia, supported all formats of cricket, as of March 2024

70% of all Australians are watching more women’s sport now than they did 5 years ago, including cricket, demonstrating the rapid growth that we are now seeing

6.9M

Cumulative viewership of women’s cricket matches in Australian during 2023/24

95K

Fans at WBBL matches 2023 attended Women’s Big Bash matches this year, including the Stadium Series, breaking the attendance record for the tournament in 2023

5% of revenue across Australian Cricket comes from Women’s Cricket as of 2024

+71

NPS for WBBL|09 matches in 2023

The record NPS score comes from fans who attended matches in the last season, and demonstrates the outstanding experience fans have at matches

50%

Women’s matches on primetime TV

Around 50% of women’s cricket matches were shown in primetime TV slots in the 2023-4 season

17.6M

Digital sessions

Across women’s cricket channels in 2023 (Australian Women’s team and WBBL), representing a 42% year on year increase

WOMEN’S CRICKET IN AUSTRALIA

The actions taken over the last decade and data points above demonstrate that the women’s game is continuing to grow at pace in Australia. However, we recognise that ‘women and girls’ are not one homogenous group, and represent an incredibly diverse community. While grouped together in this action plan, we have remained conscious of the significant differences in needs and wants across this group throughout the development of the actions and initiatives in this plan.

Crucially, while the data highlights our progress in some areas, there are still parts of the sport where we can do more to make cricket in Australia a more inclusive sport, as well as push the boundaries to ensure women’s cricket is a thriving and commercially sustainable sport for generations to come.

We engaged representatives from all areas of cricket throughout the development of this plan to ensure all initiatives will have the greatest impact and maximise benefits across the game.

Our progress So far

1835

Overarm bowling introduced by Christina Willes and was adopted by all of cricket soon after

1934

First ever women’s Test match was played in Brisbane between Australia and England 1874

First recorded women’s game in Australia in Bendigo

1958

Betty Wilson became the first Test player – man or woman – to score a century and take 10 wickets in a match, including a hat trick

1958

Faith Thomas became the first Aboriginal woman to be selected in a national sporting team

2003

Women’s Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricket Board merged to form a single governing body

1997

Belinda Clark became the first player – man or woman – to hit an ODI double century

1978

Australia won their first Women’s World Cup

WE ARE BUILDING ON STRONG FOUNDATIONS – THESE ARE THE RESULT OF PIONEERING EFFORTS

ACROSS THE DECADES

For many years, Australian Cricket has one of the leading sports for women and girls in this country partly due to our deliberate actions to make the game more inclusive and accessible.

While we know there is more to do, we can be proud of the many positive steps that have been taken, and the impact these changes have had in the community. On and off the field, these improvements include:

2012

Jacquie Hey was the first woman appointed as Director on the Cricket Australia Board

2017

First joint Player MOU for women’s and men’s players

2016

Growing Cricket for Girls fund was launched in partnership with CommBank

2015

The Women’s Big Bash League was launched

2022

Avril Fahey was the first woman appointed as Chair of an Australian Cricket Board

2023

Belinda Clark’s sculpture is unveiled at the SCG, the first such sculpture in the world of a woman cricketer

2023

2020 ICC T20 World Cup victory at the MCG in front of 86,174 fans

Claire Polosak and Eloise Sheridan were the first women to umpire Sheffield Shield

2023

Significant enhancements in the Player MOU, including a 66% increase in in player payments for women

Our action plan

DEVELOPING OUR ACTION PLAN

This Action Plan has been developed following extensive consultation and engagement with leaders and experts across the Australian Cricket community, focused on understanding the current experience of women and girls playing, attending and following cricket across Australia. Recognised women leaders across the sporting sector and broader business community have also been engaged to shape and provide feedback on the Action Plan.

Over the past seven months, representatives from across Cricket Australia, all State and Territory Organisations and the Australian Cricketers Association have worked together to bring this Action Plan to life, supported by their respective Boards and Executive teams. In each workstream, cricket experts have worked together to understand the lived experience of women and girls across cricket, and assessed what actions will have the most positive impact for all Australians in the decade ahead.

Throughout the development of the Action Plan, workstreams and the overall project have been led by a group of inspirational women leaders, who have been hugely influential in the development of women and girls cricket to this point, whether as players or administrators. Through their leadership and experience, and the extensive consultation and testing of the actions within the plan, we are confident this Action Plan will deliver a seismic leap forward for the sport in this country.

DESK BASED RESEARCH

We have analysed and evaluated a number of external and internal data sources over several years, seeking to further understand the experience of sportswomen and administrators across multiple sports around the world and gaining insight into best practice and where we can still improve.

FAN SURVEYS

We have collated and analysed multiple years of fan data, helping us understand the patterns of behaviour and the improvements we can make to their experience that will drive the greatest increase in satisfaction, while also attracting new fans to the sport.

STEERING COMMITTEE AND WORKSTREAMS

The project consisted of five workstreams for each area of the action plan, beginning with an inspirational workshop bringing together leaders from across cricket, followed by deep engagement across the past six months. These workstreams have been supported and advised by a Steering Committee – chaired by James Allsopp EGM Community Cricket & Capability and consisting of leaders from across cricket, including Ellyse Perry, Christina Matthews, Kirsten Pike, Clea Smith, Steph Beltrame, Todd Greenberg and Lee Germon.

our action plan

The following section details our 10-point action plan to enhance our existing work engaging women and girls across Australia, and to ensure we improve their experience with cricket.

This plan is divided into five key areas.

We will state what we have found, what we will do and our key measures for success in each area.

WHAT WE HAVE FOUND

We have detailed insights from across the network, and key areas of opportunity.

WHAT WE WILL DO

We have highlighted two high-level actions supported by a number of initiatives that will drive change over the coming years in each area.

MEASURES OF SUCCESS

We will employ quantifiable metrics to ensure we can accurately measure how this plan is making a difference for women and girls in Australian Cricket.

It is important to note that the actions and initiatives highlighted in this Action Plan are only a part of the ongoing work Cricket Australia and State and Territory Associations do each year to support the growth of women and girl’s cricket.

These actions and initiatives are designed to build on and accelerate existing activity, with investment and intervention designed to create the greatest benefit. We also recognise that women and girls across Australia are not part of a homogenous group, and actions and initiatives will reflect differing needs.

THE 5 AREAS OF OUR ACTION PLAN

PARTICIPATION

Acclaimed sport of choice for women and girls in Australia

01. Accelerate growth with a renewed focus on retention as players progress through cricket.

02. Scalable social formats and increased investment into facilities to enable more flexible options of where, when and how to play.

REPRESENTATION

Influential leaders across Australian Cricket, inspiring the next generation

03. Ensure at least 40% women in leadership roles across Australian Cricket through targeted recruitment and development.

04. Bespoke programs to attract, support and retain volunteers to key roles including committees, coaching and umpiring.

HIGH PERFORMANCE

The best cricket teams in the world, with global superstars that transcend the sport and inspire

05. Increase playing opportunities for our professional players, through a fully aligned pathway.

06. Greater investment in professional and personal development for players and support staff.

FANDOM

The most supported teams with the best players in the best stadiums, underpinned by a world leading schedule that provides equity for our women’s teams

07. Deliver brilliant experiences and blockbuster matches played in more accessible timeslots.

08. Raise the profiles of our inspirational role models through unparalleled storytelling.

COMMERCIAL

Thriving commercial products, generating revenues that sustain the sport

09. Grow audiences and deliver big crowds in big stadiums more often.

10. New and imaginative partnerships with brands, governments and other organisations.

Participation

Research Findings

GREAT PROGRESS IN RECENT YEARS

Growth in women and girls participation in Australian Cricket has been an amazing success story. Girls now comprise more than 25% of all Woolworths Cricket Blast participants, registered participation in junior and senior cricket continues to rise with subsequent growth in teams and competitions.

RETENTION IS CRITICAL

While we have done a great job attracting women and girls to cricket, we can do more to increase retention rates by providing great experiences that foster a lifelong love of the game.

FLEXIBLE OPTIONS PARAMOUNT

Women and girls have a strong desire for social formats and want more opportunities to play in environments outside “traditional” cricket times and formats.

FACILITIES

Creating spaces that are safe, accessible and provide facilities for women and girls (e.g. change rooms, toilets) is critically important to growing participation. This requires more considered, inclusive planning and deliberate investment to ensure all Cricket facilities provide accessible and inspiring environments for women and girls to play and engage in cricket.

KEY OPPORTUNITIES

CONNECTED PATHWAYS FOR RETENTION

A structured pathway through age groups and teams from Woolworths Cricket Blast to Elite cricket is critical to ease transition and maximise retention.

FLEXIBLE CRICKET

New social formats played at places and times that respond to the needs and expectations of women, providing more playing opportunities and creating great experiences.

INFRASTRUCTURE

Developing new infrastructure and more ovals with floodlights to enable flexible scheduling that responds to contemporary lifestyles and time demands.

Participation

What we will do

ACCELERATE GROWTH WITH A RENEWED FOCUS ON RETENTION AS PLAYERS PROGRESS THROUGH CRICKET

We will continue to build on the enormous growth in girls’ participation of recent years, with a dedicated focus on enhancing the game day and off-field experience of girls to improve retention rates. We will also continue to enhance the revamped Woolworths Cricket Blast program and provide support for coaches and volunteers to deliver the best introduction to cricket.

Key initiatives will include:

Targeted growth in 5-12 year-old participation using an approach specifically tailored for girls to enhance the entry-level and competition pathway.

Leveraging cricket’s assets and future opportunities such as the Olympics and ICC tournaments to recruit and retain participants.

• Increasing marketing and delivering targeted campaigns to attract girls to cricket, with additional focus on women from a diverse cultural background.

SCALABLE SOCIAL FORMATS AND INCREASED INVESTMENT INTO FACILITIES TO ENABLE MORE FLEXIBLE OPTIONS OF WHERE, WHEN AND HOW TO PLAY

As the number of Australians playing cricket grows, we must ensure we have high quality playing facilities that cater for women and girls and flexible formats catering for changing needs.

Our research shows increasing social cricket formats is critical to attract more women to cricket, as is increasing the number of venues with appropriate facilities and floodlights which ensure grounds can be shared and provide more playing time for those with work and family commitments. To do so, we will work with government partners to increase the number of venues and enhance existing facilities and enable more cricket that suits all lifestyles.

We also know that playing at an appropriate age and skill level is key to positive experience. We will create connected pathways from Woolworths Cricket Blast to both formal and recreational cricket to ensure there is a place for every woman and girl to play.

Key initiatives will include:

• Work with clubs to align growth targets with infrastructure plans and investment.

• Collaborate with States and Territories to create and grow competition pathways that are best fit for participants in all regions.

Enable and empower clubs and associations to drive the cultural change needed to allow fair and equitable access to grounds and facilities, and create safe and enjoyable environments for all.

OUR KEY MEASURES FOR SUCCESS

5-12 GIRLS

Grow the number of 5-12-year-old girls playing cricket from 25k to 100k by 2034

INFRASTRUCTURE

$500m total investment into infrastructure projects to enhance the cricket experience for women and girls

REPRESENTATION

Research Findings

PROGRESS AT TOP ADMINISTRATION LEVELS

There are more women than ever in leadership roles within Australian Cricket. Whether on Boards or executive teams, influential role models are driving the game forward.

LACK OF VOLUNTEERS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS

This progress has not yet been experienced at community levels where about 15% of key committee and leadership roles are performed by women. This in turn discourages other women and girls from volunteering at clubs and associations and inhibits the overall growth of the women’s game.

CHALLENGE BIAS AND CREATE THE RIGHT ENVIRONMENT TO GROW

Unconscious bias still exists within the sport. The predominance of male administrators can skew decision making on strategy and investment in favour of men’s cricket which ingrains the under-representation of women.

KEY OPPORTUNITIES

DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Create more development, learning and leadership opportunities for women across Australian Cricket.

CLUB REPRESENTATION

Encourage more women volunteers to play an active role in community cricket, whether as coaches, umpires or committee members. This will create more diverse clubs and provide girls with more role models and advocates at the grassroots level.

CREATING THE RIGHT CULTURE

Address unconscious bias at all levels of the game and provide equal opportunities for all employees regardless of gender or background. This will enable us to actively target more outstanding women leaders and staff, further enhancing our reputation as an employer of choice for women in Australia.

REPRESENTATION

What we will do

ENSURE AT LEAST 40% WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP ROLES ACROSS AUSTRALIAN CRICKET THROUGH TARGETED RECRUITMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

As a sport for all Australians, we recognise that cricket’s workforce should reflect the community it serves. We will strive to be an employer of choice for all women, working to create gender balance at all levels. This will engender diversity of thought and experience and create more inspirational role models for staff and community volunteers. Enhancing our position as having the smallest median gender pay gap in Australian sport is vital to achieve this outcome.

To enhance our position as an employer of choice for women, initiatives include:

• Collect, analyse and utilise data to identify areas where women are underrepresented across Australian Cricket and establish targeted recruitment and development plans to increase representation over time.

• Establish industry-leading policies and talent programs that attract and retain outstanding professionals, while ensuring we retain the smallest median gender pay gap in Australian sport.

Unconscious bias training for all Australian Cricket board members and staff.

BESPOKE PROGRAMS TO ATTRACT, SUPPORT AND RETAIN VOLUNTEERS TO KEY ROLES INCLUDING COMMITTEES, COACHING AND UMPIRING

‘You can’t be what you can’t see’. We recognise the significant underrepresentation of women and girls as umpires, coaches and volunteers across Australian Cricket. We need more volunteers to create environments where girls feel they can fully participate, and to ensure that the needs and preferences of women playing the sport are always at the forefront of decision making.

To do this, our initiatives will include:

• Develop and deliver volunteer recruitment campaigns based on regional demographics and opportunities.

• Offer additional support and tailored courses for umpires and coaches to ensure they are equipped to play an active role in participation across the community. Implement new funding and grant opportunities for community clubs to support women and girls.

OUR KEY MEASURES FOR SUCCESS

REPRESENTATION IN KEY POSITIONS

Work to achieve at least 40% female representation across all leadership roles in Australian Cricket, including administrative boards and executives and community club committees.

LEADING SPORTS INDUSTRY GENDER PAY GAP

Maintain the smallest median gender pay gap score for Australian sport, seeking to keep our score at less than 5% in favour of males or females at all times.

HIGH PERFORMANCE

Research Findings

DECADE OF SUCCESS

Australian Cricket’s targeted investment in women’s cricket has helped ensure the Australian Women’s team is a world-leader in international sport. The inevitable improvement in other nations means we must continue to find ways to maintain this advantage.

DOMESTIC GROWTH

Continuing to nurture domestic cricket is critical to maintaining the success of our national teams and increasing player depth. The WBBL has fostered the development of a number of world class players, and we continue to invest in this competition as well as other domestic leagues and pathways.

PLAYING OPPORTUNITIES

High quality domestic cricket is vital to ensure the transition of elite players to international cricket. This must be balanced with the need to allow our best players rest and recuperation periods to ensure a healthy balance given the ever-expanding schedule / workload.

UNDERREPRESENTED ROLES

There is an underrepresentation of women in key roles across Australian Cricket that has proven difficult to address. This is particularly the case in coaching and sports science and sports medicine roles, where most applicants for new or vacant roles are male.

KEY OPPORTUNITIES

INCREASING PLAYING POOL DEPTH

To retain our position as the world’s leading women’s cricket team we must continue to develop and nurture great players who can compete at international level. The increasing women’s international schedule means we must bring more players through our pathway systems to increase the depth of the playing pool.

PLAYER DEVELOPMENT

Taking a holistic approach to the development of elite players is essential for the game’s success and their personal well-being. We can do more to support this development, including mental health, throughout the increasingly crowded global cricket calendar.

We must continue to offer the highest remuneration in Australian women’s team sports and reach our objective that all women’s State and Territory contracted players will be full-time professionals by the end of this action plan.

FTP AND GLOBAL GAME

As a leading nation in global cricket we have the opportunity to significantly influence and drive the growth of women’s cricket. We can also help shape the Future Tours Programme to optimise opportunities for our national team and help drive competitive and commercial outcomes. Significantly, these goals are not mutually exclusive. The strength of Australian women’s cricket can help support other nations to develop their women’s programs for the benefit of all.

HIGH PERFORMANCE

What we will do

INCREASE PLAYING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR PROFESSIONAL PLAYERS, THROUGH A FULLY ALIGNED PATHWAY

Our national team has been the most successful in world cricket over the last decade, and among the most successful in Australian history. In order to continue and enhance this success, we must continue to provide the best domestic pathways, competitions and player development, greatly increasing elite playing depth using methods that are the envy of other cricket-playing nations. This means continuing to focus on multiple formats, aligning our domestic competitions with global cricket and creating more opportunities for Australian players to perform and develop domestically and overseas.

Initiatives that will ensure we continue to maintain the highest quality domestic competitions and prepare our players for international competition include:

• Create a new domestic T20 competition, to be played alongside the WNCL, to provide more playing opportunities for all players to develop the skills and match experience required to compete on the global stage.

Enhance the domestic schedule to provide more playing opportunities for domestic players over the course of the season, as well as creating connected pathways from junior cricket through to elite levels.

• Optimise player development within the WBBL with an enhanced schedule and new pre-tournament training window to support greater team cohesion, as well as continuing to implement the WBBL growth strategy.

GREATER INVESTMENT IN PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR PLAYERS AND SUPPORT STAFF

We are proud that women’s cricketers are the highest paid women’s athletes in Australia, and that we have led Australian sport in the creation of full-time professional roles for sportswomen. We are committed to ensuring cricket remains the highest paying team sport in Australia, as well as increasing the opportunity for all women’s domestic players to become full-time professionals.

Initiatives that will enable this objective include:

Continue to lead Australian sport in player payments, moving to 1.0 FTE within this action plan for domestic players.

• Further increase player support services, including greater access to sports science and sports medicine staff, and the promotion of more women in these support roles.

• Increase holistic support for pathway athletes including increased physical, mental and off-field skill development.

OUR KEY MEASURES FOR SUCCESS

KEY TOURNAMENTS AND SERIES

Maintain on field success and win all key tournaments and series, including the 2028 Los Angeles and 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games gold medals.

25% IN TOP RANKINGS

Continue and increase the production of world class players, with 25% of the top 20 players in the world hailing from Australia in all formats.

FANDOM

Research Findings

GROWING FANDOM

Attendance and viewership for women’s cricket and women’s sport generally is growing rapidly around the world. We have filled the MCG for the 2020 ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final, attracted significant crowds to the WBBL Stadium Series matches and in 2023 had the largest attended WBBL on record. It is vital to build on this momentum.

EXISTING FANS DOING MORE

Research indicates the majority of those watching women’s cricket are established cricket fans – predominantly older males. To meet our aspirations, we must engage a new demographic and capture their attention in an increasingly competitive events space.

PROMOTION AND STORYTELLING

Australian Cricket features some of the finest sportswomen in the world and our fans want to hear more about their journeys to the top and unfolding careers. We can do more to tell these stories, drive greater fan connection with the players, and to help our players grow their brands as global superstars.

WBBL IS KEY FOR GROWTH

Our research shows the WBBL remains the major attraction for our global audiences, and the quality of the competition is world leading. There is significant opportunity to enhance and grow the WBBL to ensure it remains the world’s premier women’s cricket competition creating greater attendances, viewership and commercial return.

KEY OPPORTUNITIES

ENHANCE SCHEDULE

We will seek to schedule more matches in the heart of the summer school holiday window to attract more fans and give our players more chances to showcase their ability. We will also work with broadcasters to ensure more matches are played in primetime slots and shown on primary channels.

VENUES

Hosting more women’s internationals and WBBL matches in Tier 1 venues will help to provide fans with brilliant experiences that will engender fan loyalty for the world class cricket on offer. The success of the WBBL Stadium Series is indicative of this opportunity demonstrating the Australian Cricket network can combine to deliver these events.

FAN EXPERIENCES AND ENGAGEMENT

Women’s cricket has unique characteristics and does not need to imitate the men’s game. These differences can form the basis of incredible experiences for a variety of fans, whether they are long-time cricket lovers or new to the sport. This means creating events that are the place to be during summer, with attractions and offerings that represent the best of sport and entertainment.

FANDOM

What we will do

DELIVER BRILLIANT EXPERIENCES AND BLOCKBUSTER MATCHES PLAYED IN MORE ACCESSIBLE TIMESLOTS

Women’s cricket provides unique fan experiences that create incredible moments. We must highlight and celebrate the game’s different characteristics and various formats to retain existing fans and engage many more. To do this we will showcase the incredible stories of our players and enrich the game-day experience to create a unique experience. Our vision is to deliver events that provide world class entertainment, as well as world class sport. We also have the opportunity to broaden the demographic of women’s cricket with measures such as exploring new apparel, merchandise and promotional initiatives that appeal beyond the current fan base.

Creating these experiences will mean that we will:

• Introduce new standalone consumer offerings, such as new membership and experience packages, as well as fan festivals for WBBL and International marquee matches.

Optimise the schedule to have more matches in the heart of the summer, in primetime windows.

Deliver full on and off field merchandise range for women’s cricket formats, including increased at match availability.

RAISE THE PROFILES OF OUR INSPIRATIONAL ROLE MODELS THROUGH UNPARALLELED STORYTELLING

Our incredible players are our greatest asset delivering phenomenal success on the world stage, and inspiring future generations. They all have a unique story to tell, and our fans want to learn more about their journeys to stardom and have a greater connection with their heroes. By investing in this area and working with the playing group we can build their individual brands and engage cricket’s fanbase in new and innovative ways. This will inspire a love for all Australian teams and the game overall, in turn driving greater viewership, attendance and participation.

Telling these stories means we will:

• Work with our players to understand their unique stories and identify opportunities to promote them across multiple platforms.

• Provide regular content to news outlets locally and globally to help correct the current imbalance in coverage of women’s sport, including on our own channels.

• Develop a player connection strategy as part of our plans to engage new audiences.

OUR KEY MEASURES FOR SUCCESS

ATTENDANCE

Drive and maximise attendance across all competitions and formats, resulting in an average annual attendance of 600k for women’s matches in Australia by 2034.

VISIBILITY

Minimum 80% of all women’s matches played in primetime by 2034.

COMMERCIAL

Research Findings

WOMEN’S SPORT IS UNDERVALUED

Women’s sport has been undervalued despite its tremendous growth. The value of media rights and sponsorships have not responded to the increase in viewership and interest across the globe. While there have been signs of progress around the world, in Australia we are yet to see a true reflection of the commercial value of women’s sport.

CHANGING MEASURES, METRICS AND PERCEPTIONS OF VALUE

Our research indicated that the traditional measures of the commercial value of sport might not be appropriate for women’s sport due to the manner in which fans interact with brands. Women’s sports have the capacity to reach different demographics with a deeper engagement and can drive greater returns for commercial partners. Demonstrating these advantages is important to ensure women’s cricket reaches its full commercial potential.

THE INVESTOR FLYWHEEL

The flywheel model for women’s sport demonstrates that strong strategic investment must precede any significant growth in commercial return. Soccer is now starting to bear the fruit of its investment around the world with one example the vast increase in team valuations in North America. Australian Cricket made a pioneering investment in women’s cricket and we acknowledge we must continue this investment to ensure the game’s long term competitive and commercial success.

MEDIA COVERAGE

Coverage of women’s sport, including cricket, remains relatively low compared with men’s sport despite the stellar achievements of our national teams and growing interest in the WBBL. A recent study by the Victorian Government revealed that in 2022-23 only 15% of sports news coverage in Victoria was focused on women’s sport. When considering the FIFA Women’s World Cup drew the greatest viewership of all sports in 2023, it is evident that creating greater media coverage is critical to providing exposure for our partners and maximising commercial revenue.

KEY OPPORTUNITIES

COMMERCIAL VALUE

To accelerate the growth of women’s cricket, we must work with our broadcast and commercial partners to maximise viewership and overall interest in our sport for mutual benefit including maximising commercial return. This will ensure we have the capacity to continue to reinvest in the game to grow participation, create great competitions and experiences for fans and continue to produce outstanding players and teams.

NEW PARTNERSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

We have the opportunity to expand our commercial partnership portfolio and engage new audiences as we grow the women’s cricket fanbase, and specifically target more female and younger fans. We are in a unique position to provide new opportunities for brands who are not traditionally involved in sport, and to grow the commercial value of the sport by creating more marketplace competition among potential partners.

FAN DATA

We can better identify potential fans and provide more personalised experiences by enhancing our data and improving segmentation. This will allow us to deliver the experiences we know our fans want and expect. It will also allow us to attract and work more effectively with new commercial partners for mutual benefit while growing the overall value of the sport.

COMMERCIAL

What we will do

GROW AUDIENCES AND DELIVER BIG CROWDS IN BIG STADIUMS MORE OFTEN

Growing the fandom of women’s cricket will require changes to the schedule. As we do so, we must continue to enhance viewing and at-match experiences to increase attendances and grow total audiences, and make women’s cricket matches the hottest ticket in town. As audiences grow, we will work with broadcast partners to ensure women’s cricket is valued appropriately, and in its own right. This will drive greater commercial value in the next media rights deal that can be reinvested into the sport.

To do this, initiatives include:

• Take more matches to major stadiums while creating unique atmospheres that fans will love, culminating in all Women’s International matches being played in major stadiums by the end of the Action Plan.

• Create marquee matches each summer to inspire additional investment, and work with commercial partners to deliver fan activations and unique experiences that grow attendances and commercial returns.

• Work with broadcast partners to ensure as many matches as possible are shown on primary channels, and in primetime throughout the summer.

NEW AND IMAGINATIVE PARTNERSHIPS WITH BRANDS, GOVERNMENTS AND OTHER ORGANISATIONS

Our commercial partnerships including sponsorships are the most critical avenue to grow value in women’s cricket in the short term. We will work with existing and new partners to demonstrate the outstanding value that women’s cricket in Australia provides. We will also seek new and innovative revenue streams, while exploring opportunities to increase commercial value in areas such as playing apparel, merchandise and player sponsorship.

Specific initiatives include:

• Conduct a full review of global women’s sport sponsorships, and establish an Australian Cricket-wide approach to the valuation of commercial deals.

Explore partnerships with contemporary brands that appeal to women and girls, to help bring more women and girls into the game.

• Utilise enhancements in customer and first party data to drive increased value in partnerships, while also improving personalisation and the overall fan experience.

OUR KEY MEASURES FOR SUCCESS

REVENUE

Grow revenue from women’s cricket to more than $121m by 2034, representing a $100m increase on current value.

VIEWERSHIP

Grow viewing hours to more than 65m (currently 19m) by 2034.