Labor to name stadium stands after women sporting heroes

Labor has pledged to honour Australia’s female sporting legends by naming stadium stands after women athletes.

The names of Australia’s greatest female sporting legends could grace the stands of NSW stadiums as Labor looks to honour the achievements of women in sport.

With other stadium stands honouring male athletes, state opposition leader Chris Minns has unveiled a Labor policy where female sporting legends will be recognised on the stands – starting with Stadium Australia, also known as Accor Stadium, in Western Sydney.

And while the former Olympic stadium would be the first to honour female sporting greats, the party has made it clear it wants to see more stadiums named after great female athletes.

With the state election eight months away – and in response to calls for better recognition of female athletes – Mr Minns said he would convene a public consultation process to determine which female sporting legend would be honoured first.

Young athletes Brooke Phillips, Ella-Rose Wight, Mareva Swan, Lillian Boulos, Bree Whitehall and Leilani Wilson may one day have a stand or a stadium named after them. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

The move is expected to trigger much discussion given the controversy that erupted after the names of the new Sydney Football Stadium stands at Moore Park were leaked – and none honoured Indigenous rugby league Immortal Arthur Beetson.

While NSW has many brilliant female sporting legends, from Betty Cuthbert to Shane Gould to Sally Pearson and Jess Fox, Emma McKeon to Steph Gilmore, it is also the birthplace of our greatest female tennis champion Margaret Court – who is also the most controversial.

And should NSW honour champions from other states such as Cathy Freeman (Queensland) or Sam Kerr (Western Australia)?

Emma McKeon would be in the running to be honoured with a stadium or a stand. Picture: Jonathan Nackstrand / AFP

The government-appointed Heritage Committee of Venues NSW had planned to name stands after Souths and Easts champion Ron Coote, soccer legend Johnny Warren and rugby union legend Sir Nicholas Shehadie.

However, the fourth stand was to be the “Garrison” to mark the ground’s military heritage – a decision that was quickly overturned following the public uproar.

As for other venues, the Sydney Cricket Ground does not have any stands named after female athletes.

Could a stand be named after Cathy Freeman at Accor Stadium? Credit: Nick Wilson/Allsport

Accor does not have names allocated to any of its stands.

Mr Minns said it was time women received equal recognition as men.

“Sitting in a stadium stand named after a female sporting legend will undoubtedly inspire the next generation of female athletes at the Olympics, rugby league or in the A-League Women,” he said.

“It’s a no-brainer – and there’s no shortage of wonderful female sporting legends in Australia to choose from. Female participation in sport is growing rapidly in NSW, yet we do not recognise great female athletes appropriately. We will make a start in fixing this by naming a stand in Stadium Australia.”

Opposition sports spokeswoman Julia Finn said the naming of the stands at Accor should mark the start of other stadiums also honouring female sporting heroes.

State opposition women’s spokeswoman Jodie Harrison said the contribution of women did not receive the same recognition as men,

The Labor policy will apply to unnamed and new stands.

In welcoming the move, Australian touch football representative and Bankstown Jets Touch Football Club president Kylie Wilkinson said the naming of the stands was a small but significant step in helping to inspire young girls and women in sport.

“It will make women feel valued,” she said.

“Men always get the limelight. The more focus we have on women, the more sponsorship, following and participation and media coverage we will get.”

Lillian Boulos, 15, from Saint Christopher’s Junior Rugby League Football Club, agreed:

“I think sport should involve equal pay, equal opportunity and equal attention.”

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