FIFA World Cup: ESE The Agency calls for global brands, sports to show greater recognition for female athletes

If Australia win the Women’s World Cup they will receive less financial reward than their male counterparts who only reached the last 16. The pay disparity is shameful.

An all-female Sydney sports management agency has demanded Matildas and Socceroos players be paid equally while urging national and global brands to show more respect to Australia’s female players.

Moore Park-based ESE The Agency manages six Matildas, including Cortnee Vine, Hayley Raso and Katrina Gorry, and wants both sporting genders to be treated with equality following the Matilda’s extraordinary World Cup success.

Vine, Raso and Gorry will play the World Cup semi-final against England at a sold-out Stadium Australia on Wednesday night.

ESE’s two managing directors - Leon Spellson and Alexandra Williamson - are becoming increasingly fed-up with international and Australian companies who fail to show female athletes the same respect as male counterparts.

Katrina Gorry signs an autograph for a young Matildas fan. Picture: Daily Telegraph / Gaye Gerar.

Asked whether the Matildas should be paid equally as Australia’s Socceroos, Spellson said: “One-hundred per cent, both on and off the field. You just have to look at the pay disparity between the male and female athletes in the football World Cups. We are all for a discussion on equal pay – we’re massive advocates.

“These athletes should not be gender descript. They are professional athletes and they all - male or female – train as hard as each other.

“To give you an example, we had a brand call us the other day and said: ‘If they (Matildas) win, we will ring you on Monday’. These are bona fide athletes on a global platform. It shouldn’t matter if they do, or don’t win - we are sick of hearing that.”

The pay disparity is glaringly obvious for this women’s World Cup when you consider that if the Matildas win the entire tournament, they will share in $6.59m in prize money and receive about $286,500 each.

Fans around the country have been going wild for the Matildas. Picture: Jenny Evans/Getty Images.

But the Socceroos, who only reached the round of 16 where Australia won $19.9m last year in Qatar, each took home about $316,000 each under the Football Australia pay deal.

Spellson, whose company only manages female athletes, said there was still a glaring disparity between men and women at a remuneration and marketing level.

“Hopefully this World Cup changes the narrative, and it should change the narrative, that a female athlete is entitled, and we feel is as eligible and equal as a male athlete, when it comes to that brand’s decision of who to use to market their product. It’s time to step up,” Spellson said.

“We hope this World Cup changes the narrative around pay and equal consideration in marketing budgets. We hope it changes in all sports but football at the present is the catalyst to change that discussion. For many, many years there have always been two levels.

“There are places for bandwagons, there are brands to ride the wave, one-hundred per cent, but there is also a very solid argument that these athletes now can be a firm part of your marketing plan.”

Sam Kerr controls possession in Australia’s World Cup quarter-final win over France. Picture: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images.

Williamson said companies must start offering female stars the “same financial benefits” as male players.

“It’s time, when they (international brands) are sitting down and doing budgets and looking at who they want as an ambassador, that they are putting the same financial benefits forward for a female athlete as they would a male athlete. They (female players) can absolutely see the disparity,” she said.

“This is probably a new space for businesses to be in and we want to help educate them on the journey as to the full potential that these women have.

“The disparity is that some brands look at female athletes as influencers. We have had an abundance of Australian and international brands come to us wanting to be involved with the players but they’re not long-term and that isn’t the right approach.

“When you look at what some of Australia’s leading male athletes have done, off the back of their success, they are definitely not being offered a certain amount of cash for an Instagram post.

“For Australian companies, they have this really unique opportunity to have these incredible Australian ambassadors be part of their company and brand. What better ambassadors for an Australian brand than to have a Matilda at this point in time.

“Now is the time for brands and companies to change the dial, to change their investment in women’s sport and let’s celebrate all the incredible female athletes we have in this country.”

ESE also manages Elise Kellond-Knight, Chloe Logarza, Emily Gielnik, members of the Matilda’s original 40-member squad along with retired Matilda, Grace Gill.

The company manages multiple female stars including Hannah and Jesse Southwell (rugby league), Rhiannan Iffland (diving), Noemie Fox (canoeist) and Indiana Bennetto (polo).

Originally published as FIFA World Cup: ESE The Agency calls for global brands, sports to show greater recognition for female athletes