For so long, sport has been divided.
First there are the men, the ones who push their bodies to the extreme for the elusive shot at “maybe”. The ones who adorn back pages of newspapers every day. Who tweet out their lives to thousands of adoring fans. Who are patted on the back when they walk down the street. Who are championed and idolised as the pinnacle of sporting prowess.
Second, there are the women. The ones who also train every day of the week. Who also hit the gym and plunge themselves into hellish ice baths. Who don’t get recognised in shopping centres or stopped at the servo. Who don’t receive the fat paychecks or play in front of screaming masses. Who make their professional sporting careers bend around another unfortunately necessary fixture of their lives: a 9-5 job.
Well, that's how it always was, anyway. Until August of this year.
That's when a gender equity pay model was decided upon by Cricket Australia and the Australian Cricket Association, granting professional female cricketers the biggest pay rise in the history of women's sport in Australia.
That's when female athletes were told - finally - that they matter. Their sports and their passions matter.
