Matildas prove value of women’s sport sponsorship, but what about local clubs and players?

Back in 2012 an article from the Illawarra Mercury revealed that Caitlin Foord — now a superstar striker for Arsenal and the Matildas — couldn’t afford to go on a pivotal Australian Schoolgirls football tour.

In the article, her mother Simone Foord lamented the fact that as a single mother, she didn’t have the $6500 needed for the tour. Plans were made for a school raffle and both federal and local MPs were approached for help.

Despite making the Australian under-17s team at just 13 years old, Caitlin found it difficult to attract sponsors.

“Finding sponsorship is really hard, I don’t know if it’s because Caitlin is a girl,” Foord said at the time.