The new campaign calls for fair prize money across women’s sport
‘Close the Gap’ from Telegraph Women’s Sport (TWS) uncovers the huge disparities between male and female prize money from the Six Nations to the Euros and other elite sporting events.
The campaign is backed by a host of high profile sports figures including among others: Judy Murray OBE, Ian Wright, Poppy Cleall, Dame Laura Kenny, Justin Rose, Lizzie Deignan, Zoe Aldcroft, Jamie Carragher, Chloe Morgan, Vivianne Miedema, Maggie Alphonsi MBE, Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill and Will Greenwood.
Among those backing the campaign, Olympic and world cycling champion Laura Kenny said: “Women’s sport has seen great strides forward in recent years, but there is still so much to do in terms of closing the gap on prize money.
“As female athletes we put in the same number of hours and make the same sacrifices, yet our rewards are completely different.”
Jamie Carragher, former Liverpool and England footballer and Telegraph columnist, also commented, saying: “Prize money was not something I ever had to think or worry about when I was playing. Women’s football deserves fair prize money so I’m backing the #CloseTheGap campaign to help grow the game.
“I want the next generation of female footballers to be better rewarded for their success on the pitch and enabled to fulfil their potential.”
Key findings from the campaign can be read here.
TWS launched in March 2019 with a commitment to deliver unprecedented coverage of women’s sport across all platforms. The TWS manifesto outlined its key pledges which included increased editorial coverage of women’s sport, campaigning on key issues, and audience growth through investment in specialist journalists and encouraging more female bylines.
TWS’s award-winning supplements have featured global stars such as Naomi Osaka, Maria Sharapova, and male sporting allies Andy Murray and Ian Wright on its covers.
The supplement has been hailed for setting the agenda and exploring topics such as menstruation and body image.
In addition to increasing awareness of women’s sport, this year TWS is investing in future talent and launching two paid internships. The month-long summer internships are now open for applications and will be based at The Telegraph’s London newsroom.
