Rosa Simkin (@rosatalksball) – 08/03/25
Every International Women’s Day I wake up and it feels like I’m in a parallel universe.
Everywhere you look, social media or the press are plastered with iconic figures from women’s sport, fom Keely Hodgkinson to Ilona Maher. Whilst I love that we use such an iconic event to highlight and push for progress, share the success stories and explore our achievements, I have to ask why it often feels like a one day effort? What about the rest of the year?
When tomorrow morning, women’s sports returns to its status as an afterthought or when the headlines switch back to their usual focus on the men’s game, can we really claim to have made progress?
Don’t get me wrong, women’s sports has moved on leaps and bounds in the last few years, from facilities to coverage, but that is due to some incredible individuals working in the game to level up the playing field. It is not a universal effort. The fight for women’s sport can’t be a one-day movement, it has to be an every-day committment. Yes, we’ve broken down barriers, but the real question we have to ask ourselves is, are we accelerating action when nobody is watching and how can we ensure women’s sport is making headlines every day?
Football: The Lionesses Sparked a Movement – Now What?
At a risk of sounding clichéd, The Lionesses’ home Euros victory in 2022 changed everything. A record breaking 87,192 spectators filled Wembley Stadium to witness England take on Germany, ending the tournament the way it started, with a record crowd.
What followed in the Women’s Super League, England’s top tier of women’s football, was a revolution. Attendance records were shattered, TV viewership soared and companies fought for sponsorship. The opening fortnight of the competition after the Euros saw Arsenal break the attendance record with over 47,000 fans in the Emirates to witness their win over Spurs in the North London Derby. Overall, an average match attendance of 14,897 was set accross the league.
The grassroots game has also benefited. In 2024, the BBC revealed that numbers from County FAs show the number of girls’ football teams has doubled in the last 7 years. The most significant rise coming in the 2022/23 season, with nearly 1500 new teams registered following that home Euros victory. They dubbed it “The Lionesses Effect.”
The players are also benefiting. Chelsea broke the transfer record in the winter transfer window, when they signed 24-year-old American Naomi Girma for around £900,000 from NWSL side San Diego Wave FC.
Expectations are also higher, whether that be at the hands of fan involvement, or financial growth. Former Arsenal Head Coach Jonas Eidevall felt the brunt of this at the beginning of the season, after his side struggled to get going. After facing fan pressure, which went as far as graffiti citing “Jonas Out” appearing on a wall outside the Emirates Stadium, he decided to leave his role, despite the club continuing to back him.
When we move past the idealised aspects of the growth in England, we see a more unpleasant reality, one which is a theme across sport; the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer, in both resources and finances. A divide is developing. Let me explain…
As it stands in the 24/25 season, “The Big Four” consisting of Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal and Manchester City fill the top four spaces in the league, in that order. Chelsea have 44 points, whilst City in fourth have 32. You may be wondering why this is a problem? Brighton sit in 5th on 19 points, that’s a 13 point gap. Clubs and owners don’t want to invest at the levels of the top sides, creating an unhealthy gap and an uncompetitive league. It is also creating an image problem. Arsenal are at the pinnacle of the game, hosting 12 games at the Emirates this season, with thousands filling the seats each match-day. In the 23/24 their average attendance was 29,999 Meanwhile, Aston Villa are struggling to breach the 5,000 mark at Villa Park, where they now play all of their games.
The distribution of resources is off balance, and a lack of budget is producing a talent gap and squad size gap as far as players are concerned. Liverpool FC are one of the giants of men’s football, yet they currently sit in 6th in the WSL, far from their glory days, owing to a historic lack of investment. Their response to their struggles so far this season was not to adjust their budget, but instead to sack Head Coach Matt Beard, who arguably became a victim of his own success in the 23/24 season where the club finished 4th, ahead of Manchester United. Beard secured back-to-back WSL titles for the side in the 12/13 and 13/14 season. He then returned to get Liverpool promoted back to the WSL in 21/22.
The distribution of the players from the last England squad further emphasises these issues. From the 24 member player squad 4 came from overseas, 7 from Chelsea, 4 from United, 3 from Arsenal and 2 from City. Only 4 players based in England came from clubs outside of the top four. In the men’s England squad, only five came from the top four club sides.
It’s also important that I highlight that even for those in “the big four” life isn’t perfect. The headlines surrounding Manchester United have been fixated on two men. One of the club’s owners, Sir Jim Radcliffe, and Head Coach Marc Skinner. In an interview with United We Stand, Radcliffe controversially said, “There’s only so much that you can do and our focus has been on the men’s team. If not, you get spread too thinly. We need to sort out the main (sic) issue – the men’s team. The women’s team is an opportunity”. A recent article from the Telegraph revealed that on a club visit, Radcliffe asked former United captain Katie Zelem what her role was in the club and that when United women made the FA cup final last season, the men’s team had to step in to ensure they all had enough tickets for family to attend. Radcliffe wasn’t in attendance for that game. As far as Skinner is concerned, questions surrounding player treatment have returned to the headlines after the club was accused of trying to loan out Brazillian forward Geyse whilst she was attending her brother’s funeral, without her knowledge.
Fan involvement could not be higher. The attitude surrounding the game could not be better. The players could not be working harder. Now it’s time for the league to catch-up. Investment won’t occur overnight, but without it the Leagues status as one of the best globally is at risk. The fans deserve more, and it’s up to the Clubs and governing body, WPLL to ensure healthy growth and a more even distribution of success in the years to come. We can’t waste the actions of the Lionesses, but now it is time to look beyond them.
Cricket: Professionalisation Occuring, But Still an Uphill Climb
2025 is a pivotal year for the women’s game in England. As we prepare for a home World Cup in 2026, a restructure has arrived ahead of the summer, with Project Darwin handing the domestic game back to the counties.
What if I told you that before 2020 the only full-time professionals in England were the central contractees; players who represented England on the international stage. In 2024, that number has risen to 153*. Overall, there has been a 538%* increase of professional women’s players. These numbers are staggering.
The international game has also benefited. England Women have been awarded equal match-fees to their male counter-parts accross all three formats of the game.
However, the game quite frankly had to respond. In 2023 The Indpendent Commission for Equity in Cricket delivered a damning 317-page report. Amongst exploration of racism, classism and sexism a major issue was exposed; English cricket has used its image as “traditional” in order to mask a national pit of inequalities.
In regards to the women’s game it stated that, “Women are not even nearly on an equal footing with men within the sport today. Our evidence shows that women continue to be treated as subordinate to men within, and at all levels of, cricket. This is evident both from the lived experience of professional and recreational women cricketers and from the structural barriers that women continue to face”.
“The women’s game lacks proper representation amongst the highest level of decision-makers within cricket.”
“Women receive an embarrassingly small amount compared to men … the average salary for England Women is 20.6% of the average salary for England Men.”
“A widespread culture of sexism and misogyny, and unacceptable behaviour towards women in both the recreational and professional game.”
Whilst the England and Wales Cricket Board has taken on many of the report’s reccomendations to drive change, one remains untouched and the disparity within it is growing. The Hundred pay gap.
In 2021, a new kid arrived on the block. The Hundred, a new format of cricket created by the ECB became England & Wales prime-time white ball franchise tournament. The aims of the tournament, explained by the ECB were simple, to create an equal playing field for cricket and introduce a new generation of fans to the game.
The Hundred has been crucial to the growth of women’s cricket in England. The 2024 season saw record attendances smashed at seven of the eight stadia used for the tournament, the final at Lord’s attracting 22,009 fans. Salary wise, the salary budget for the women has increased by 364%*, with the top salary increasing to £65,000 ahead of the 2025 tournament from just £15,000 in 2021.
The notions of The Hundred as equal, however, are simply false. Don’t get me wrong, the tournament is sold as one product. You buy one ticket to see two games of cricket in the form of a double header, one women’s game and one men’s game. The sponsorship is the same for both the women and the men. The TV deals are for the whole product, both the women and the men. There’s a theme here isn’t there?
The salaries though could not be further from being equal. In 2024, following the rise of the women’s salaries, the ECB announced they would be freezing the men’s salaries until the pay disparity could be addressed. You can guess how long that claim lasted.
Ahead of the 2025 season, both women’s and men’s salaries have risen significantly. The headline? A widening in the gap between the top men’s and women’s players salaries. A whopping £135,000 the difference. The gap between the lower salaries is equally as significant, a £21,000 pound gap. Overall, there is a £774,000 difference in the overall salary pools for the tournament, with the women’s at £429k and the men’s £1.2 Million.
Doesn’t feel very equal now, does it?
2025 will hopefully mark a necessary shift in attitudes surrounding the domestic women’s game as the counties begin to invest in their sides, but a more equal playing field in The Hundred is a necessity to ensure the national growth of the game ahead of the Women’s World Cup in 2026.
It’s your move ECB.
*Stats courtesy of the PCA – https://www.thepca.co.uk/press-release/pca-release-groundbreaking-womens-impact-report/#:~:text=The%20PCA%20has%20released%20a,Lord’s%20on%20Thursday%206%20March.
Rugby: Ilona Maher Has Triggered a Shift in Attitudes – Now the Game Needs to Follow
Ilona Maher isn’t just a powerhouse on the pitch, she is driving the growth of women’s rugby off it. The American star has more than eight million followers accross Instagram and Tiktok, making her the most followed rugby player globally, men’s or women’s. Her online presence was driven by her content during the 2024 Paris Olympics, where she represented the USA in the Rugby Sevens, where they went on to win a Bronze Medal, overcoming Team Australia.
Maher joined Bristol Bears for the closing stages of the Premiership Women’s Rugby season in 2025, as she looked for Union experience aheard of the 2025 World Cup in England, where she is hoping to represent the USA. Her debut game saw a record crowd at Ashton Gate for Bears Women when they faced reigning champions Gloucester-Hartpury with 9,240 spectators in attendance, smashing the previous record of 4,101.
Her side may have fallen short in the semi-finals of the PWR, but Maher’s impact on the global rugby world cannot be understated. She has brought in a new generation of fans through her online presence and has inspired many young girls to pick up a rugby ball for the first time. Maher’s messaging is equally as crucial, one of body positivity and overcoming expectations placed on women’s sports stars.
The Red Roses have been equally as prevalent in recent years; their success quite frankly hasn’t slowed down. The side has achieved the Grand Slam at three Six Nations in a row dating back to 2022… that’s right, three years in a row! They have also been runners-up at the last two World Cups. Their final against New Zealand in 2021 was watched by 42,579 fans at Eden Park. The words of Black Ferns player Ruby Tui following the game said it all,
“They said nobody cared about women’s rugby; well guess what? We out here! We out here fam! We’re going nowhere.”
Yet amidst this apparent success in pioneering the game in England and seemingly driving headlines towards the sport, my attention was grabbed by a post from Sue Anstiss. Ahead of the semi-finals of the PWR, Anstiss chose to explore the BBC’s Rugby page. One mention of women’s rugby from 69 stories. No mentions of the PWR.
It’s funny how quickly an image of growth and progress can come crashing down.
2025 is a pivotal year for women’s rugby in England as a home World Cup rapidly approaches. Anticipation is building and records are expected to be smashed. We have to use the momentum, whether it comes from a Red Roses victory or an increase in attendance. This could be transformative, and this could provide the change the club level of the game requires, as without the player pathways, success on a global level is unthinkable.
The PWR has the potential to set a precedent. Maher has shown the potential for women’s rugby. but, Ilona Maher isn’t the only player who deserves to be drawing in record attendances. She isn’t the only player who deserves to be making a living wage. She isn’t the only player who deserves sponsorship deals. She isn’t the only player who deserves media coverage. The fact she has these things, however, shows progress.
What Maher has done is incredible, and can not be overstated. She has become an image for what women’s rugby can be if we treat it right. Let’s use her as a symbol of growth.
Rugby, like cricket, needs to learn from the mistakes of football. Steady and even growth nationally is a posibility, and one which needs to be grabbed by all involved with both hands. Clubs, the media and the fans need to step up, to provide the players a space in which they can thrive.
More Than One Day
Celebrating progress one day a year is not enough. The challenge for all of us is how we keep the conservation going every day, beyond the iconic moments. When those viral moments pass, when the cameras aren’t rolling and when our fight for investment becomes uncomfortable.
This is why at Rosa Talks Ball, I don’t just highlight women’s sport when it’s trending. This is a year round process. This platform was created to champion women’s sport in the absence of genuine coverage in the wider media. The landscape has changed significantly since I started this mission in 2021, but we still have significant progress to make. Women in sport still have much more progress to make. And the right support must be offered.
As the headline of this piece was trying to convey, breaking barriers was just step one. Accelerating action to enable real, authentic growth is the real goal.
This International Women’s Day I ask you to not only celebrate our achievements. I ask you to commit. Invest, support, watch, participate and demand growth. Most importantly, do so every day of the year. Women in sport deserve our commitment.
