With two world cups approaching Kiwi shores, Sport New Zealand has launched a campaign to encourage more engagement with elite women's sport in Aotearoa.
The Black Ferns celebrate Ruahei Demant’s try against Australia in the Laurie O’Reilly Cup . (Source: Photosport)
Called the "It's Time" initiative, the campaign was announced after research commissioned by Sport NZ found awareness of female athletes is significantly lower than comparable male athletes – especially when it came to team sports.
The Gemba Research study also found only one in three Kiwis regularly watch women's sport.
It also found 53% of New Zealanders didn't expect to engage in women's sport over the next 12 months, whether it was through watching it live or on TV, discussing it on social media or following other media coverage, despite the imminent arrival of the women's Rugby World Cup and women's FIFA World Cup both being hosted here.
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With those two events fast approaching, Sport NZ chief executive Raelene Castle said now was the perfect time to implement the initiative to give both the Black Ferns and Football Ferns a boost for their campaigns.
“We believe the World Cups here in Aotearoa will be a great platform to promote change in this space, but these events are just the tip of the iceberg,” Castle said in a statement.
“Our Kiwi Ferns head to the Rugby League World Cup in November while the Silver Ferns prepare for their World Cup next year and there are multiple inspiring performances happening that deserve our attention.
The Football Ferns stand for the national anthem. (Source: Photosport)
“We’re challenging New Zealanders to get behind it, whether that’s going to matches, watching on TV, engaging on social media or reading or watching media coverage.
“All of these competitions provide an opportunity to raise the recognition and profile of our female athletes.”
The Rugby World Cup kicks off next week with a triple-header at Eden Park which includes the Black Ferns' opening match of the tournament against the Wallaroos.
In a bid to attract more audiences, international music star Rita Ora has been confirmed as the headline act for the opening ceremony at Eden Park alongside the three matches.
Tournament organisers hope the day will set a new attendance record for a women's Rugby World Cup match with 20,000 the mark to beat, although event director Michelle Hooper is aiming to sell out Eden Park.
It would be a stark turnaround from the Black Ferns' Test against the Wallaroos in Christchurch last month with just 3138 fans turning out.
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