World Cup Milestone Highlights Women's Representation in Aussie Sports

The first ever American all women’s referee ensemble officiated the South Africa and Czechia game at the FIFA world cup last Friday. 

The historic moment highlighted the issue of women’s representation in officiating sports. 

Hungarian referee Katalin Kulcsár during the Italy vs. Belgium match on April 10, 2018, at the Paolo Mazza Stadium in Ferrara. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

The first time a women’s referee team adjudicated an elite men's soccer game in Australia was at the A leagues in 2024. 

An all women’s team refereed the NRL and Australian Open in 2019 and the AFL in 2017. 

Women are largely underrepresented in authority positions in the elite levels of Australian sports. 

Almost 19 per cent of sports environments nationally had achieved gender balance in 2022 among officials at the elite level, according to Champions of Change.

Dr Samantha Marshall is a Research Fellow in the Reducing Gender-based Violence Research Group at LaTrobe University. 

Marshall has conducted research into gender harassment women experience when officiating sports in Australia.

She acknowledged progress was being made, but said more needed to be done to level the playing field.

She said societal cultures in sports are often “20 years behind the rest of the world”.

“I think all refs experience challenges when they're doing their job.”

“For women refs however, that abuse becomes gendered, which turns many women away from it.”

She said a sport system-wide culture shift needed to happen as well as education. 

Marshall said increasing the number of women in visible officiating roles would help break down gender norms and encourage change in future generations. 

“You can't be what you can't see,” she said. 

“For the little girls and even the little boys on the sidelines, seeing that is an option for them, that it doesn't matter what your gender is, and that you might even be able to ref in a World Cup one day, is so powerful.”

Football Australia said they “remain committed to building a world-leading, inclusive refereeing environment, ensuring that talent and opportunity are accessible to all”.