Steph Catley: “The world is actually a better place after this tournament”

After a landscape-changing Women’s World Cup with the Matildas, Australia’s beloved Catley reflects on the highs, the lows, the future of the game and, of course, Nikki Webster. 

After a landscape-changing Women’s World Cup with the Matildas, Australia’s beloved Catley reflects on the highs, the lows, the future of the game and, of course, Nikki Webster.

Everything has changed for Steph Catley in the past two months. Stepping up to captain the Matildas with Sam Kerr injured, Catley led her team into the history books and in the process became a national hero. But she isn’t the only one who has changed. Since the Matildas kicked off their campaign against Ireland on July 20 in Sydney—where Catley scored the only goal—Australia has changed for the better. 

In their bittersweet semi-final defeat against England, the Matildas were cheered on by 11.15 million Australians watching at home and another 75,784 at Stadium Australia. The game was the most-watched television program on record in Australian history; the attendance was over double the previous record from before the World Cup. Anyone who said people aren’t interested in women’s sport was proven dead wrong. 

In the week since the World Cup ended, Catley is finally starting to see the impact that her and her teammates have had on the nation. Inside the bubble of the World Cup, everything is focused on the next game, but as Catley says “when you come out of it, you let yourself see the impact we’ve had on the Australian public and women’s football, women’s sport in general, you sit back and think, you know, this was amazing”. 

Beyond soccer, the Matildas proved that not only is there an appetite for women’s sport at the highest level, but the hunger is ravenous. Before she heads back to Europe to play for Arsenal in the Women’s Super League, the Matildas vice-captain and Optus ambassador spoke to Vogue about playing a home World Cup, how things have changed, and how her love affair with ‘Strawberry Kisses’ has been longer than any of us would have guessed.

VOGUE Australia: How have you been feeling since the end of the whirlwind of the World Cup?

Steph Catley: “It’s been pretty crazy. Being inside the bubble, it’s a lot emotionally, physically, the World Cup takes a lot out of you. So when you come out of it, you let yourself see the impact we’ve had on the Australian public and women’s football, women’s sport in general, you sit back and think, you know, this was amazing. But yeah, I’m pretty physically drained and emotionally pretty overwhelmed. But I think the more I sit with it, the more it feels good, and you can appreciate what we’ve done.”

The WSL draws some big crowds. But what was it like playing in front of 75,000 rabid Australian fans?

“I’ve never felt anything like it. I have played in front of big crowds in the WSL, but nothing to this sort of scale and nothing to the passion. You could feel what it meant to everyone that was there in the stadium, and obviously, for us, it’s a moment we’ve been looking forward to for four years and building up to what feels like our entire careers up until those moments so the crowds were insane. Walking out into a full Stadium was probably the best feeling in the world. That’s probably one of my favourite moments from the whole tournament. When I look back on it. It was just incredible to see where women’s football has got to. Seeing girls and boys in the crowd, being inspired by us as female footballers and female athletes—it’s pretty incredible.”

Catley celebrates scoring the winning penalty against Ireland. Image credit: Getty Images

What was the one highlight of the tournament?

“The opening game was definitely one of my highlights. I just remember being on the bus on the way to the game, and just the overwhelming emotions of being proud, being excited, everything coming together. Seeing people on the way towards the stadium, all in Tillies colours, green and gold everywhere. It just felt like there was nothing else on in the world, other than our game. And then walking out to that crowd and scoring a penalty in that game. That was definitely one of my favourite moments. The other one was probably making the semifinal. Obviously, a historic moment for our team, a historic moment for Australian football. And yeah, it was just a real “we’ve sort of made it” moment.”

That French game will go down as one of those moments, like the Cathy Freeman moment, that the nation remembers. What was it like to be a part of that intense pressure in the middle of the stadium for that game?

“We talked a lot about our Cathy Freeman moment before the tournament, we really wanted to leave a legacy like that. We didn’t know in what capacity we’d be able to do that. Obviously, there’s so much unknown at the beginning of a tournament, but yeah, to be able to do what we did and potentially have inspired a generation of young female athletes and of young boys that can look up to this moment and be inspired by what we did and want to play football or, you know, just chase their dreams... I think we did talk about that and the fact that it feels like we were able to do that is very very special.”

Tournament football has its highs and but also its lows, what were the lowlights of the tournament for you?

“Yeah, that’s football, isn’t it? I think it’s hard because you’re in this bubble as athletes and football is full of mistakes, you don’t have football without mistakes or errors. Nobody’s perfect. Everyone’s going to make errors throughout the games and it’s about how you deal with those as individuals and as a team. I think we did that really well. We really were a tight-knit unit. We always have been. But when the pressure is that high, you really need to be there for each other in a capacity that is much larger than it’s been before, and I think we did that really well. 

There were a lot of tough moments. I think the first loss against Nigeria was really tough for us. When we finished that game, it was hard the day after to bounce back. I think everyone felt a bit low and like we’d let people down and we let ourselves down.”

Catley when she was young and Catley now. Image credit: Supplied, Getty Images

Have you noticed things change for you just you know, walking around on the street, in your everyday life? Have you felt the nation sort of wrap its arms around you?

“Yeah, definitely. I’ve been trying to stay home with my family as much as I can, but the times that I have gone out, I’ve been stopped every time. Every time I’ve been out for dinner, someone will come up and tell me about the impact it had on them and a bit about them and their stories. And it really is incredible. You can feel the shift. You can feel that the world is actually a better place after this tournament. It’s done so much for not only women’s football, but I think women in every field, I think it’s given people a power and a belief.”

You said it perfectly, the world is a better place. Going forward it’s not just the Matildas, there’s going be a few people watching Arsenal and the WSL. How are you feeling about going back to the UK? What are your ambitions for Arsenal?

“I’m heading back Saturday night, and then I’m in training Monday morning. We’ve got the Champions League qualifiers that are coming up very, very soon, so you have to switch your brain straight back into club mode. But it’s pretty easy to do that, I love playing for Arsenal, we’ve got so many amazing players, it should be a really exciting year.”

Catley in her Vogue Australia shoot in partnership with Nike ahead of the World Cup. Photography by James Robjant, styling by Harriet Crawford

You did a photo shoot with Vogue Australia in partnership with Nike ahead of the World Cup with Kyah [Simon], Sam [Kerr] and Hayley [Raso]. How did you find the style aspect of it all and are you ready for more of those experiences? We reckon they are coming.

“I absolutely love doing stuff like that. It’s always a little bit different, and we do a lot of the same shoots when you’re a footballer with your kit on and you just cross your arms and look down the cameras as if you’re really angry. [Laughs] So to get into the fashion world and to wear different clothes, be in a different environment, and get your hair and makeup done, I absolutely loved it. If there’s more around the corner, then I’m definitely up for it.” 

Lastly, is there anything you want to say that you feel you haven’t said or that you want to say again to all the fans and all the people who cheered you on?

“Just keep supporting women’s football and football in Australia in general. I think this is a platform, a good starting point. It takes work, it takes effort and showing up to games and supporting the game to push it to where it needs to be. The support has been absolutely incredible, and I do think it’s going to roll on. But yeah, just keep supporting football, keep supporting women’s football, and it’s going to go from strength to strength and be huge in this country and I can’t wait to see where it goes.”

Anything you want to say to Nikki Webster?

“[Laughs] Nikki knows how much I appreciate her and her song that’s become my anthem. That was so fun on the stage when she came out and surprised us. I think everyone was in a bit of shock. I had to sit down for a second. I couldn’t believe what was going on. The team, you know, really came together around that song and I know the public absolutely love it. Every video I see of us has ‘Strawberry Kisses’ playing in the background. It’s become a little bit iconic. And yeah, Nikki’s reached out to me. We’ve had lots of chats, so she knows how much I appreciate her.”

Take it to Arsenal…

“I actually already have. They know that it’s my karaoke song. If we’re ever in a situation, we have a little karaoke machine at the club, and Leah Williamson is always putting it on to make me sing karaoke. They know how much I enjoy it and they’re all over it.”

We need to get footage of that.

“I’m sure there’s something somewhere.”

Watch the Women’s Super League on Optus Sport from October 1. 

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Originally published as Steph Catley: “The world is actually a better place after this tournament”