South Canberra FC Breaks the Mold: Equity-Driven Model Earns ‘Club Changer’ Honour

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Image Credit: SCFC

South Canberra Football Club has been named Club Changer of the Month for April, in a recognition that reflects a broader shift across Australian football toward rewarding clubs that are actively dismantling the structural barriers limiting women’s access to the game.

The AFC Women’s Asian Cup has just delivered record crowds and unprecedented visibility for women’s football in Australia, and the Club Changer program is now asking what comes next. Its decision to name South Canberra Football Club as Club Changer of the Month for April signals a clear shift in how the program defines contribution: away from participation numbers alone, and toward the equity frameworks that determine whether women stay in the game once they arrive.

South Canberra FC built that framework from the ground up. Established in 2021, the club set out to give women and female-identifying players a safe, inclusive environment to play football at any level. It runs entirely on volunteers, operates as a not-for-profit, and is governed by an all-female committee with 13 of its 14 coaches identifying as female.

 

Building the infrastructure of inclusion

In 2026, the club secured grant funding and put it to work immediately. Two coaches are completing their C Licence qualification, and ten coaches, players and community members have undertaken the Foundations of Football course, which directly tackles the cost and accessibility barriers that exclude women out of coaching pathways.

The club also commissioned a female-specific strength and conditioning program with sports physiotherapists ahead of the 2026 season, targeting injury prevention and explicitly supporting players returning after childbirth.

SCFC’s leadership team draws from LGBTIQ+ individuals, First Nations people and veterans, strengthening the club’s connection to the communities it was built to represent.

The Club Changer program is backing clubs that do this work- clubs that treat equity as infrastructure rather than aspiration. At a moment when Australian football is under pressure to turn its biggest-ever surge of women’s interest into something lasting, SCFC’s model offers a clear answer to the question of how.

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From Classroom to Global Football: GIS Opens New Career Path

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Image Credit: Global Institute of Sport

The Global Institute of Sport (GIS) has opened new opportunities for students who want to build careers in football. GIS has partnered with the World Football Summit (WFS). The partnership offers two exclusive scholarship and internship opportunities.

Students can gain practical experience while studying. They can also build industry contacts and learn how the global football business works.

Two Football Industry Roles

The first opportunity focuses on partnerships and commercial development. Students in the Partnership Executive Intern role will support WFS commercial activity. They will learn how football organisations build and manage partnerships.

The second role focuses on clubs, leagues and federations. The Club, League & Federation Relations Intern will support WFS relationships with football organisations. This includes key stakeholders inside football.

Both roles give students direct exposure to the business side of the sport.

International Experience

The placements also offer flexibility. Full-time students can complete a six-month internship or placement. WFS will tailor the experience to each student’s profile and availability.

Part-time students can complete two six-month placements. This gives them exposure to different areas of the WFS business. Students may work remotely or at the WFS headquarters in Madrid. The final setup will depend on the student and WFS requirements.

A Global Football Network

WFS has built a major international football network since its launch in 2016. The organisation has hosted events across 11 countries. More than 44,600 people have attended its events. Its network now includes more than 153,000 football industry professionals.

WFS events have also featured major football figures. These include FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Ronaldo Nazário, Rio Ferdinand, Didier Drogba and Javier Tebas. The partnership gives GIS students access to this wider football ecosystem. It also connects academic study with real industry work.

Applications Open for 2026

Applications opened on 18 August 2026. New and existing GIS students can apply. The deadline is 14 September 2026.

For students targeting careers in football business, the opportunities offer a direct route into the industry. They can develop commercial skills and can build professional networks. They can also gain experience with the relationships that drive modern football.

To learn more about the GIS scholarship program click the link here.

Football Has the Audience. Does It Have the Commercial Strategy?

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Image Credit: One Nil Media

Soccerscene has launched Survey 4: Commercial Confidence in Football, calling on clubs, sponsors, governing bodies, commercial leaders and football industry professionals to assess whether the game is making the most of its enormous commercial potential.

Football has the audience, participation base and community reach to be one of Australia’s most powerful commercial platforms. But does the industry have the commercial strategy, professionalism and infrastructure required to turn that potential into sustainable growth?

That is the question at the centre of Soccerscene’s latest industry research.

The survey examines how attractive grassroots football is to potential commercial partners, what industry professionals believe is limiting football’s commercial potential, and whether clubs are presenting themselves professionally enough to sponsors.

It also explores what sponsors value most when engaging with football – from community reach and participation scale to brand alignment, values and purpose – as well as whether improved facilities could directly contribute to stronger sponsorship outcomes.

Is football fully capitalising on its commercial opportunity?

Football continues to provide brands with access to highly engaged communities across grassroots, community and elite environments. Yet the commercial landscape remains fragmented, with clubs operating with vastly different levels of resources, capability, governance, media infrastructure and commercial expertise.

Soccerscene’s survey is designed to capture the industry’s perspective on where the opportunities exist – and where football may be leaving commercial value on the table.

The research will look specifically at four key areas:

  • Commercial attractiveness – How attractive is grassroots football as a commercial partnership?
  • Commercial barriers – What is holding football back from reaching its full commercial potential?
  • Club professionalism – Are clubs presenting themselves effectively and professionally to sponsors?
  • Sponsor value – What are sponsors really looking for when they invest in football?

The survey also asks whether better facilities would have a direct impact on sponsorship outcomes, highlighting the potential relationship between infrastructure, commercial presentation and investment.

Have your say

Soccerscene is encouraging football clubs, sponsors, commercial professionals, governing bodies, administrators, media professionals and industry stakeholders to participate.

The findings will contribute to Soccerscene’s ongoing program of industry research, designed to provide a clearer picture of the challenges and opportunities facing football and the organisations operating within it.

Take the Survey: Commercial Confidence in Football

Complete the Commercial Confidence in Football Survey here

The survey will close on 30 August 2026 at midnight, with responses received before the deadline included in the final analysis.

Football has the audience. The question is whether it has the commercial strategy to match.

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