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The Conversation
The Conversation
Hoani Smith, Lecturer in Sport Management and Sport Science, Lincoln University, New Zealand

Sophie Devine’s record cricket contract can’t disguise a stubborn pay gap in NZ women’s sport

Sophie Devine playing for the Perth Scorchers in a Women's Big Bash League match in Melbourne, November 2025. Morgan Hancock/Getty Images

When former White Ferns captain Sophie Devine secured the equal-highest deal in the United Kingdom’s pro-cricket league last week, it was greeted as another sign of how quickly investment in the women’s game is growing.

Moments like this make it easy to believe women’s professional sport has finally arrived. But Devine’s £210,000 (NZ$470,000) contract to play for the Welsh Fire also highlights something else.

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