In what’s being considered a ‘landmark’ agreement, New Zealand’s women’s players will earn the same match fees as the men’s.
The five-year deal, across all formats, is a first for professional cricket.
Save the date – it's a landmark move in women's cricket and New Zealand are leading the charge ????????#CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/0vHAu8dryi
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) July 5, 2022
It means White Ferns players will now also earn $10,250 per Test, same as Black Caps players in the longer format.
Importantly, the agreement will also ensure that more women’s players are accounted for with domestic contracts – from 54 up to 72.
New Zealand cricket takes the first step towards gender pay equality!https://t.co/zt8RIBilR0 pic.twitter.com/seGeaIiUP7
— ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) July 5, 2022
It will no doubt prove to be an important milestone, as the pay gap will continue to be bridged across sports, going forward.
While the push back will continue to centre around revenue generation, that was never a valid argument and it’s becoming increasingly more irrelevant. Men’s sport has had an enormous head start, over decades and even centuries in many cases – like cricket. New Zealand’s men’s team, for example, acquired Test status in 1930, over 90 years ago.
Embed from Getty ImagesSophie Devine (middle) has labeled the move ‘a massive step forward’ and ‘a huge drawcard for young women and girls.’
The ICC Women’s World Cup only became a regular event, hosted at four-year intervals, in 2005. There have been just 11 women’s Test matches in the last 10 years. The White Ferns haven’t played in any of those. This will help get the red ball rolling.
#CricketTwitter
— The Field (@thefield_in) July 5, 2022
"To where we are today is massive": Sophie Devine
New Zealand's White Ferns and domestic women’s players receiving the same match fees as the men across all their formats and competitions.
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The women’s product in international cricket is objectively great, yet the quality still continues to show promising growth. The investment will undoubtedly continue to reap rewards over time, as White Ferns captain Sophie Devine pointed out.
This is just a ‘small step’ in the right direction. But it’s a big moment.
