In October 2016 the NSW Breakers made history when they became the first fully professional women’s domestic team in Australia. There were professional players in women’s sports around the country, but this deal marked the first time an entire team was earning the national minimum wage of $35,000 a year.
Over the following six and a half years, the landscape of women’s sport has shifted considerably. The latest Super Netball pay deal lifted the minimum wage to $43,000, while the AFLW last year implemented a 94% pay rise for its lowest paid players – with the minimum wage increasing from $20,239 to $39,184.
