The showcase of women’s football has arrived. The 2011 Women’s World Cup, hosted by football powerhouse Germany, is the showpiece of the female game.
Regardless of gender, the World Cup is the definitive prize for any football supporter. It is the one event which eclipses any continental tournament, despite its glamour or prestige.
This year’s German edition is the fifth World Cup competition held for the female game. The inaugural tournament was held in 1991 in China, where USA claimed bragging rights by triumphing 2-1 over Norway.
Since then, the women’s game has grown to exceptional measures both abroad and notably in Australia. The opening game of this year’s World Cup witnessed host, Germany, attain an unprecedented 73,680 spectators in their 2-1 victory against Canada. Regardless of the merit attained by being the host nation, boasting a crowd of that calibre is an exceptional feat. Evidently, the women’s game is mounting in leaps and bounds.
Surfacing the Australian environment, media coverage for this year’s World Cup spectacle has been at an unparalleled all time high. The Matildas brand is escalating into a household name. Nowadays, the Australian sporting fraternity recognise the name and talents it endorses.
In the past, many people didn’t have a clue who the Matildas were or paid them little to no respect due to their female status. However, times have changed as the Matildas are currently seen as one of the leading lights in representative Australian sporting teams.
In relation to this year’s World Cup, the Australian team has been at the forefront of a diverse number of media outlets. As expected, SBS has been at the forefront, covering the Women’s World Cup and showcasing expert opinions and highlights from the tournament itself.
Although, it’s the other media coverage which has grabbed the attention from the average sports punter. Commonly, in the mainstream media market, the Matildas have been apparent. From headlines within the conventional print media outlets, to discussions via radio programmes, the Matildas are attaining an exertion of media attention unseen before.
When we examine the more niche markets, the Matildas have also been a highlight in recent times. In a first for women’s football, the Matildas featured on the cover of national football magazine FourFourTwo for the first time in 17 years leading up to this year’s World Cup. This feat illustrates the immense growth and development within the female code in Australia.
It may not seem like a colossal achievement at first glance, however when we examine further, it’s an extraordinary accomplishment for a game making solid in-roads reminiscent of their male counter-parts, the Socceroos in their World Cup exploits in Germany 2006.
The Matildas reputation as a successful, thriving brand inside media circles has been facilitated by their tremendous success of late. Their triumph at the 2010 Women’s Asian Cup was a memorable accomplishment for numerous reasons.
The manner the Matildas triumphed under monsoonal conditions against North Korea in the final was outstanding. Illustrating fortitude, courage and an abundance of talent was the auditorium for a typical Australian mind-set. In addition, it was the first major piece of silverware won by any Australian football outfit. An achievement certainly worthy of its recognition.
The girls seemingly love the media attention and utilise it to help the women’s game prosper and develop the brand. When asking Matildas coach Tom Sermanni if his players felt at all overwhelmed by the growing media attention towards the women’s game both nationally and abroad, he held the deliberation that the girls used it (media) as a sense of diversion from their on pitch requirements and to further enhance their abilities as professionals.
“Players enjoy interaction with the media and take it in their stride. They deal very well with distraction,” Sermanni said in reference to the Matildas’ media exploits during the World Cup.
Amid the growing trend in social media, the Matildas camp has seized to take advantage of this marketing initiative by regularly interacting with fans. Updating the public on the latest team news, thoughts and emotions are all common occurrences during the World Cup campaign. It’s a fantastic enterprise by the girls and staff while further enhances their growing sociability towards the public.
Matildas’ captain Melissa Barbieri has interacted with fans via the social medium twitter. Amid the escalating media surrounding the Women’s World Cup being vast, Barbieri was asked if it (media) has developed substantially since the previous World Cup in 2007. Barbieri felt that the media attention has riffled, with social media playing and enormous role, along with the incredible marketing campaign in Germany.
“Its really boomed, social media alone has helped with a fan base, Germany have done an excellent job in coverage and advertising,” Matildas captain Barbieri said.
As evidenced, social media is an innovative yet simple way to communicate, engage and build a reputable brand. The Matildas have remonstrated this in a fantastic manner and continue to become humble servants to the Australian and worldwide public.
Women’s football will never reach the lofty heights of their men’s counter-parts, nor are they expected to; however there is categorically a wealth of potential for the women’s game here and abroad. As verified closer to home, the Australian game has been rejuvenated, with the introduction of the innovative W-League in 2008 and televised fixtures via the ABC network.
In many respects, the Matildas’ brand can be seen in a similar vein to Australian representatives – in the Diamonds (Netball) and Opals (Basketball) – amid growing domestic leagues and respectable performances on the world stage.
Conversely, the Matildas boast a healthy advantage; football is the largest code on the planet, grasps the biggest worldwide events and audience ratings. With continued success on the pitch and through the various media trends, the Matildas will soon become the face of women’s sport.
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What if we celebrated all of the achievements big and small, and weeded out those hell-bent on bringing down a game that is doing a hell of a lot right?
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