$3.2 Million Boost for Gender Equality in Sport

By Ian Rogers

The Australian Government has announced an additional $3.2 million investment to support women in coaching, officiating, and sports administration. This funding aims to drive progress in gender equality within the sports sector and includes:

• $1.1 million to extend the Australian Sports Commission’s (ASC) Women Leaders in Sport (WLIS) Program, supporting women coaches, officials, and administrators.
• $800,000 for leadership and governance workshops for women in community sports.
• $800,000 to provide extra support for women in high-performance coaching roles.
• $450,000 for ten projects under the Women in High-Performance Coaching Action Plan, including funding for women coaches to attend benchmark events.

The funding secures the continuation of the WLIS program, a key ASC initiative established in 2002, which has already supported over 27,000 women and 800 sports organisations. WLIS grants empower women to advance their leadership journeys through tailored development programs and training.

This year, 43 women have been awarded WLIS Individual Development grants, totalling $203,450. Among the recipients:

• Dr. Lauren Burns OAM, Sydney 2000 taekwondo gold medallist, will use her grant to undertake a Lifestyle and Wellness Coaching course through Harvard Medical School Executive Education.
• Gemma Scales, AFL Northern Territory’s Regional Manager for Remote Projects, will pursue a Graduate Diploma of Business (Enterprise Leadership) at Queensland University of Technology, enhancing her leadership capacity in Indigenous programs.

The remaining WLIS funding supports workshops, organisational grants, AIS Talent Programs, and the Athlete Accelerate initiative.

Additionally, $800,000 allocated for community sport leadership aligns with the National Gender Equity in Sport Governance Policy, introduced in September, which mandates gender equality on sports boards.

The investment in women’s coaching addresses ten key recommendations to increase female representation in high-performance coaching roles. Funding will also help women coaches gain experience at elite overseas competitions, removing “lack of experience” as a barrier and providing critical exposure to high-level sports environments.

This funding marks a significant step towards creating a more equitable and inclusive sporting future for women in Australia.

Minister for Sport, the Hon Anika Wells said:

“The ASC’s WLIS and Women in High Performance Coaching programs are about representation. These programs will impact community champions, future leaders, and ultimately change our sporting landscape.

“Our women dominated the medal tally in Paris. Yet less than one in five Olympic coaches and one in four Paralympic coaches is a woman. This damning data has remained stagnant for decades and it must change. Look at Myriam Fox, Louise Sauvage, Maggie Meng, Sandy Brondello or Bec Rippon- women can coach.

“This funding is part of sport’s needed diversity drive. The Albanese Government is investing in women in sport because it produces results.”

Australian Sports Commission CEO Kieren Perkins OAM said:

“Australia has under-performed for too long with respect to women in sport coaching and leadership, but I believe we are at a turning point.

“WLIS and the AIS women in coaching programs have impacted countless Australian coaches, leaders and participants. These programs continue to drive meaningful change at all levels of sport.

“We are grateful for the Australian Government’s continued investment in women in sport which accelerates the pursuit of gender equality beyond the playing field.”

WLIS grant recipient, Gemma Scales (AFL NT Regional Manager – Remote Projects) said:

“This grant is the difference between whether or not I pursue postgraduate studies. I am really grateful for the support of the ASC and AFL NT. This is going to make me a better leader, and hopefully there are learnings which I can share with those around me. Ultimately it will help me progress in my career- wherever the next steps take me.”

Judo’s ‘Play Well’ Initiative Aims to Get More Aussies on the Mat

By Liam Jennings

Judo Australia is on a mission to make the sport accessible to all Australians, on and off the mat, with every state and territory federation uniting behind its first nationally co-designed participation strategy.

The Judo in Australia Participation Plan seeks to create an inclusive environment where individuals of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds can find their place in the sport.

In partnership with the Australian Sports Commission (ASC), Judo Australia has embraced the ASC’s innovative Play Well Planning Framework, making it one of the first national sporting organisations to adopt this approach.

Judo Australia CEO Beck Hamilton acknowledged that bringing all states and territories together was a challenging process but emphasized that the alignment of efforts would deliver significant benefits for the sport nationwide.

“We are so proud as a collective of what we are about to undertake. It was a great example of co-design in action,” Hamilton said.

“It was a pleasure to lead and be a part of the process.”

The national organisation collaborated with all state and territory federations in preparation for a two-day co-design session held in July.

Judo Australia Chair Simon Read highlighted that this initiative is not just about boosting participation but also about fostering a strong, inclusive judo community built on the values of safety, enjoyment, and respect.

“The Play Well Strategy is not just about numbers; it’s about creating spaces and opportunities where people feel connected and supported in their judo journey,” Read said.

“Our focus on engaging underrepresented groups, supporting grassroots clubs, and fostering lifelong connections to the sport is at the heart of this strategy, and we look forward to seeing these efforts come to life across the nation.”

The Judo in Australia Participation Plan was officially endorsed by all state and territory federations at their recent annual general meeting.

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Grand final replay Christmas present

By Tim Howard

A mouthwatering grand final replay will be plenty of compensation for Clarence Valley cricket fans after persistent wet weather washed out the latest round of the CRCA first grade competition.

Premiers Harwood were scheduled to provide this year’s competition leaders South Services/Westlawn with their stiffest challenge of the season.

But with play on both days abandoned without a ball bowled, players have switched their focus to the last games before the Christmas break.

The clash between Harwood and Lawrence will provide the premiers with their biggest challenge so far this season, having romped to three wins from four games.

And two of those wins were just two wickets each from outright results.

For Lawrence, currently third on the ladder, it has been a different season.

Admittedly undefeated, with just a touch more luck, they could be challenging for the competition lead.

Lawrence had Souths/Westlawn on the ropes in the season opener, only for rain to allow Souths to snatch a draw.

In game two, Lawrence showed their true form, thrashing Tucabia Copmanhurst by 98 runs and against Coutts Crossing they had 180 on the board and Coutts at 0-9 when the rain came.

Lawrence would be determined to show they are a better team than the one that caved to Harwood in the 2023/24 grand final.

With a core of former Harwood players providing the backbone of the team, they are well aware of the Harwood blueprint of applying relentless pressure on opponents with the bat, ball and in the field.

In the current competition they are the best equipped team to take on the premiers at the own game.

But that said, any team playing Harwood faces a huge ask.

In their last innings against Tucabia, Harwood smashed 7d-343 from just 53.4 overs and then rocked through Tucabia’s batters for 47, scored in 47 overs.

Harwood’s first drop Coby Tabor has two centuries in three hits and when they got into a spot of bother against GDSC Easts, their opening bowler, Troy Turner, smacked 115 to see them pass 300.

But Lawrence has enough talent of their own to ask questions of Harwood and would like nothing more than to slash the tyres of their downriver rivals before the Christmas break.

At Ellem Oval in Grafton, Souths Westlawn will be keen to see if their luck holds against Tucabia.

Yes, they lead the competition, but with fewer wins than nearest rivals Harwood.

The outright win they secured to snare the lion’s share of those points came after they were behind on the first innings against Coutts.

Tucabia also have a few demons to slay.

Their understrength team was mauled in the last outing against Harwood and rain no doubt saved them.

The tiniest “but” in this situation was they did hold on to use all the help the rain gave them to save them from an outright loss.

At Lower Fisher Turf, Grafton, Coutts and Easts will be looking for their first win of the season.

Coutts has been so close.

They recovered from a fearful hammering in their opening game to secure a first innings lead against Souths, only to collapse for 31 in the second innings.

They held Lawrence to 180 in the next game and were 0-9 before weather decided that one.

After the Christmas break, eyes turn quickly to semi-final spots. So far the top three are undefeated, but rain has had more to do with that than playing form.

At the end of this game played over the next two weekends, the competition goes into recess until January 11.

In the new year their will be five two-day games to decide semi-final positions.

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