Football Victoria looking to grow women’s football into the future

In a statement released on Monday, Football Victoria released a new report into the structure of Women and Girls’ football for the future.

The report is aimed at improving the gender balance in Victorian football, with the overall goal of a 50/50 balance by 2027.

The statement can be found below in full.

Football Victoria (FV) today released its independent final report following a comprehensive review into the Women and Girls’ competition structure for football in Victoria.

Tasked with delivering an enhanced football experience for all senior and junior players and a clear vision for the game, the review sought to identify the optimal structure for Women and Girls’ football in the state. It seeks to grow participation, provide the best pathways for junior development and identification and enhance the overall involvement of women and girls in the world game.

Endorsed by the FV Board, the final report covers key areas of improvement for the Women and Girls’ competitions and outlines 22 key recommendations. Its focus areas are football’s culture, players, referees, clubs, coaches, Government and other external stakeholders.

The recommendations are aligned to FV’s overall strategic direction and commitment to growing investment in Women and Girls’ football as we pursue our journey towards a 50:50 gender balance by 2027. Some of the report’s key recommendations include:

  1. Developing a bespoke Victorian Women and Girls’ overarching Football Strategy;
  2. Introducing single age-group competitions (e.g. separate U13s and U14s age-groups rather than current U13-14 combined age group);
  3. A proposed overhaul of Victoria’s Women’s Football Competition Structure;
  4. Methods to develop, retain and grow the number of women and girls in refereeing roles;
  5. Development of a standardised club induction toolkit and process outlining the roles, responsibilities and gender equity expectations for clubs, players, coaches and parents; and
  6. Further driving the push at local and state government levels for more “female friendly” facilities

The Football Competition Review was conducted by independent sports consultancy firm Sports Business Partners (SBP), who worked in collaboration with FV to undertake a comprehensive stakeholder engagement process led by a dedicated and independent Review Steering Committee.

The review’s Steering Committee comprised 26 dedicated and experienced representatives from all levels of the game and was chaired by the President of Women Sport Australia, Carol Fox. Ms. Fox expressed her sincere gratitude for the time and effort contributed by all Steering Committee members.

“The team comprised many talented individuals who brought wide-ranging expertise and knowledge from a variety of backgrounds,” Ms Fox said.

“The team was provided with the opportunity to ensure that all the key themes were discussed, to review areas that were operating well and identify key areas requiring change. It was a privilege to chair this group of experts,” she said.

FV Board Director, Sezar Jakupi, was pleased with the depth of stakeholder engagement, the quality of analysis SBP and the final recommendations.

“The review has seen significant engagement with our female participants in the game and has provided clear guidance to Football Victoria on the game’s challenges and how we can work together to overcome them,” Mr. Jakupi said.

The report’s recommendations will now move to the next phase of work to be completed with key stakeholders, with a view of implementing changes over the next few seasons.

The report also concludes the most comprehensive review ever conducted by Football Victoria into both the Men’s & Boys and Women & Girls competitions.

“Victoria is leading Australia with the proactive approach in reviewing and enhancing the competition structures for both women and girls as well as men and boys.  This requires a clear vision for the game and with the completion of both competition reviews, we believe that we have paved the way for the future which will deliver enhanced experiences for all participants as well as improved developmental outcomes.” Peter Filopoulos, FV CEO said.

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How James Johnson Is Shaping Canada Soccer’s Billion-Dollar World Cup Commercial Future

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Image Credit: FIFA

Canada Soccer has confirmed a renewed long-term commercial agreement with Canadian Soccer Media and Entertainment, marking a significant reset in the federation’s revenue strategy as the country prepares to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The updated partnership extends CSME’s control of Canada Soccer’s commercial rights, including sponsorship, broadcast and media licensing, while introducing revised financial terms designed to provide the federation with greater long-term revenue certainty and growth potential. The agreement replaces a previous deal that faced heavy scrutiny from players and stakeholders over concerns surrounding commercial valuation and distribution of revenues.

CSME, led by Group Chief Executive James Johnson, played a central role in renegotiating the structure, which aims to better align commercial returns with the sport’s accelerating domestic and international profile. The revised framework is expected to support increased investment across national team programs, commercial development and broader football growth initiatives.

The agreement arrives at a pivotal moment for Canadian football, with momentum building across both men’s and women’s programs and global attention increasing ahead of 2026. Securing a more sustainable commercial model is viewed as critical to ensuring the federation can maximise opportunities generated by hosting football’s largest tournament.

The renewed partnership also signals a shift toward long-term commercial planning, providing Canada Soccer with a more stable financial platform as it looks to strengthen its competitive standing and expand participation nationwide.

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