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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Comment
Sue Anstiss

How long until we see this thrilling spectacle not as ‘women’s sport’, but simply ‘sport’?

Alexia Putellas of Spain and Georgia Stanway of England in the Women’s World cup final.
Alexia Putellas of Spain and Georgia Stanway of England (left) during the Women’s World Cup final. Photograph: Europa Press Sports/Getty Images

Despite the heartbreak for the Lionesses in today’s final, this Fifa Women’s Football World Cup has made compelling viewing. From the very first round, fans enjoyed a heady mix of thrilling, breathtaking skill, dramatic incidents and unexpected results, with record attendances and viewing figures at every stage of the tournament.

But it’s not just women’s football that’s enjoying momentous growth. Rugby, cricket and netball have seen record-breaking crowds this year, vast increases in TV viewing figures and new sponsorship deals, with our national women’s sides enjoying unprecedented success on the world stage – far more so than their male counterparts.

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