NSW secure landmark women's sponsorship

Australian women’s cricket continues to go from strength to strength following today’s announcement that the Lendlease Breakers have become the country’s first fully professional domestic women’s sporting team.

The significant sponsorship deal with naming partner Lendlease ensures the NSW Breakers players will earn at least the minimum wage of $35,000, with the top international players earning $100,000 or more.

"This truly is a landmark moment,” Cricket NSW CEO Andrew Jones said. "Cricket NSW has always been a leader in women’s sport and today we are proud to announce another first.

"Every member of the Lendlease Breakers squad now has the opportunity to pursue a professional sporting career.

"I am confident that every state in Australia will now follow the lead of Cricket NSW by giving their female cricketers the opportunity to earn a living wage.

"Cricket NSW is committed to growing and professionalising women’s cricket by attracting and retaining the best athletes, providing world-class facilities, coaching and support staff, and offering all of our athletes a professional pathway." 

The move by NSW follows Cricket Australia’s significant pay increase for the women’s game at the elite level over the past two years.

In 2015 the Women’s Payment Fund was increased by 36 per cent to $2.36m before nearly doubling to $4.23m in April this year, with Commonwealth Bank Southern Stars earning a minimum of $40,000.

The minimum retainer for Women’s Big Bash League players was also raised from $3,000 to $7,000, allowing aspiring Southern Stars like NSW and Sydney Sixers batter Asheligh Gardner to focus solely on her cricket career.

"Cricket has always been my passion, however I never really thought that I would be able to play professionally," Gardner said.

"In the back of my mind I was always having to consider how I needed to juggle school work, studies, one day having a job and a family, with my training and matches.

"To know now that I don’t need to worry about juggling all of this at once, and can really commit to my training and play professionally is incredible."

The ground-breaking announcement was made at the Sydney Cricket Ground on Thursday by Jones, along with dignitaries Hon. Stuart Ayres MP, Minister for Sport, the Hon. Gladys Berejiklian, MP, Treasurer and Patron of the Sydney Sixers WBBL team, and Mrs Linda Hurley, Patron of the Lendlease Breakers and wife of the NSW Governor. 

"In a country that idolises its sporting heroes, it’s fantastic to see our talented female athletes are receiving the recognition they deserve with the professionalisation of the Lendlease Breakers," the Hon. Stuart Ayres MP, Minister for Sport, said.

"Our female athletes are fast securing the global wins capturing hearts and minds, and ensuring we get the balance right across the board will be the only way to get more women and girls playing sport, in coaching and officiating roles and on our boards and committees."

Chris Lamb, Global Head of Diversity & Inclusion at Lendlease commented on the announcement, "For seven years we have supported the Lendlease Breakers and have watched closely as the quality of the game has improved, yet provisions for players have not.

"At Lendlease we are committed to a level playing field giving women and men the same chance to succeed as we know this hasn’t always been the case for women in our industry and society.

"It’s time for the sporting industry to do the same.

"We’re proud to join Cricket NSW at the forefront of this change as we expand our sponsorship to professionalise the Lendlease Breakers.

"Together we will lead a necessary journey towards gender equity in sport in Australia."

Cricket NSW international contracted players: Alex Blackwell, Ellyse Perry, Alyssa Healy, Rene Farrell and Lauren Cheatle

Cricket NSW state contracted players: Rachael Haynes, Naomi Stalenberg, Ash Gardner, Sarah Aley, Maisy Gibson, Lauren Smith, Stef Daffara, Nicola Carey and Belinda Vakarewa.