Photo Credit: Adelaide Strikers
Representatives from the South Australian Government and all six sporting codes with women’s teams in national competitions have come together today to launch the ‘Power of Her’ initiative, which will see all Clubs working together to promote women’s sport.
The Adelaide Crows, Adelaide Lightning, Port Adelaide, Adelaide Strikers, Adelaide Thunderbirds and Adelaide United have all made the commitment to help drive crowds to women’s sport with unique ticketing and Membership offers as well as marketing and communications collaboration.
All clubs will encourage their own members and fans to support a key game for the other teams, driving as many fans as possible to see some of the best athletes in the world in person around South Australia.
For the Strikers, the marquee WBBL matchup at Adelaide Oval between Adelaide and Perth Scorchers on 24 November will be put in up in lights by the Power of Her initiative. A First Nations Round fixture, the sides will play for the Faith Thomas Trophy at the iconic venue as the Strikers look to drive towards a third consecutive Grand Final.
Katrine Hildyard, Minister for Sport and Minister for Women launched the initiative today.
“The Power of Her Women in Leadership symposium was so powerful; it saw more than 1,000 people come together to advance gender equality and open doors for future generations,” Minister Hildyard said.
“Attendees left determined to advance enduring change together that makes a difference in the lives of girls and women.
“Through this powerful step forward, these outstanding South Australian women’s teams will absolutely advance change together. I am incredibly thankful for their willingness to get together – when women support other women, powerful change is possible.
“The Power of Her aimed to create a lasting legacy through harnessing the momentum and energy from the FIFA Women’s World Cup. I am thrilled that this group is using that energy to collectively bring more supporters to women’s sport.
“By selling out these games, more people will witness the powerful change in attitude that is possible when we see women being celebrated for being strong, powerful and talented on their particular playing pitch.
“When we witness and celebrate the strength and power of our female sporting stars, it transforms the way women and the roles they can play are seen – if she can see it, she can absolutely be it!”
SACA CEO Charlie Hodgson is thrilled to see the positive collaboration between South Australian sporting teams.
“As custodians of our respective sports, it is important that we not only champion the success of our own teams, but also work together to ensure the continued growth of women’s sport,” Hodgson said.
“To have all major sporting codes in South Australia come together with a common goal is inspiring and I thank all Clubs for their involvement and support in this initiative.
“Within cricket, we have seen more women than ever getting involved in our game in recent years, with our Adelaide Strikers WBBL side receiving incredible support throughout their Championship winning run last summer. We are excited to not only look to increase this appetite for cricket, but also the desire to simply get involved in any sport at any level.
“I encourage everyone to support this initiative by attending as much women’s sport as possible, with our WBBL match on November 24 at Adelaide Oval an exciting highlight, in the coming months and supporting our teams on the national stage.”
Adelaide Strikers Championship winning batter Bridget Patterson will be at the launch and is excited by the opportunities the initiative will create.
“The momentum behind women’s sport in recent years is only getting stronger, and initiatives like this will continue to put female athletes in the spotlight, which will then see more and more talented players and passionate fans coming into our sports,” Patterson said.
“It is amazing to stand alongside players from other sporting codes today and commit to working together to promote women’s sport across not just South Australia but the country.
“We want to inspire the next generation of players, fans and administrators to get involved in sport at every level and strengthen the growth we have seen across the board.
“Get down to support your team this season, but also think about trying something new, there is so much amazing sport being played across South Australia and I look forward to seeing you there.”
See more about The Power of Her initiative on the website.
Name of Author: Adelaide Strikers
The Adelaide Strikers are an Australian professional Twenty20 cricket team based in Adelaide, South Australia, competing in the Big Bash League (BBL). Established in 2011, they succeeded the Southern Redbacks, who played in the now-defunct KFC Twenty20 Big Bash. The Strikers play their home games at the Adelaide Oval and wear a cornflower blue uniform.
