Anthony Albanese Responds To Sam Kerr’s Women’s Football Funding Comments

Getty Images

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has responded to Sam Kerr’s comments that her sport needs more funding.

Following the Matildas’ heartbreaking 1-3 semi-final loss to England on Wednesday night, Kerr said more funding needed to be allocated to women’s football to capitalise on their World Cup achievements.

Stay up-to-date on the latest news with The National Briefing – keeping you in the loop with news as it hits:

“I can only speak for the Matildas. We need funding in our development. We need funding in our grassroots. We need funding. We need funding everywhere,” Kerr said.

“The comparison to other sports isn’t really good enough. And hopefully, this tournament changes that because that’s the legacy you leave — not what you do on the pitch. The legacy is what you do off the pitch.

“And hopefully, I mean, it’s hard to talk about now, but hopefully this is the start of something new.”

Speaking to LiSTNR, Mr Albanese said “there are changes that have to come”.

“What we’ve seen here is that the old story that somehow there was a distinction between men’s and women’s team sport has been eradicated forever,” he said.

“We will continue to look at these issues and do what we can.”

The Matildas smashed recorded this World Cup, including a record number of people tuning in to broadcasts, selling out stadiums, fans flocking live sites, selling out merchandise and making it the farthest both Australia’s men’s and women’s sides have made it in a World Cup.