2023 was undoubtedly a turning point in women’s sport, with people finally investing time and money into the phenomenon. A year of Football and Netball World Cups, female sporting events shattered records and achieved unbelievable feats. Media coverage and sponsorship deals continued to rise, with popularity behind women’s sport reaching an all-time high. It was a huge year for female athletes and there are no signs of the buzz slowing down anytime soon.
Below I have curated a list of 23 of my favourite women’s sporting moments from 2023, to celebrate a year of exceptional growth and incredible achievement.
Top 23 Moments:
“Matilda” was named Australia’s word of the year, inspired by the success and overwhelming popularity of their women’s national football team.
England’s Vitality Roses reached their first ever Netball World Cup final, narrowly missing out on a gold medal to Australia.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup reported the biggest attendance in the tournament’s history, with a total of 1,978,274 fans across all 64 matches.
The World Cup also generated $570 million in revenue, allowing the tournament to break even.
Deloitte predicted that women’s elite sport will generate over $1 billion in revenue in 2024.
The England Lionesses reached a World Cup final for the First. Time. Ever.
Sports finally addressed period concerns - Wimbledon allowed female athletes to wear dark undershorts and the England Lionesses switched up their game shorts from white to navy.
Mary Earps’ replica England goalkeeper shirts sold out within hours after Nike received fierce criticism when they failed to produce any during the Football World Cup.
.… and Earps went on to be awarded BBC Women’s Footballer of the Year and BBC Sports Personality of the Year 2023.
Simone Biles made history becoming the worlds most decorated gymnast.
The Women’s Six Nations had a record crowd of 58,498 as England retained their title.
Nike released their Phantom Luna football boot, designed specifically for the shape of the female foot.
At only 19 years old, Coco Gauff was crowned the US Open champion with the historic final attracting 1 million more viewers than the men’s final.
2023's Solheim Cup was the most watched ever on Sky Sports, attracting a peak audience of 734k.
Rebecca Welch made history becoming the first ever woman to referee a Premier League match.
England Women Cricketers are to receive same match fees as their male counterparts after generating attendance records during the Ashes series.
On a similar note, the Women’s Tennis Association has promised equal prize money to match men by 2033.
UEFA launched a new initiative to better understand and improve the prevention of female ACL injuries.
England Hockey made history at the Euro Hockey Championships with the squad displaying a combination of skorts and shorts.
The Women’s FA Cup prize fund doubled to £6 million for the 23/24 season.
Katrina Johnson-Thompson had a remarkable comeback after years of injury, becoming world heptathlon champion for the second time.
The WSL reported a record-breaking attendance of 59,042 fans at the Emirates Stadium.
The University of Nebraska’s volleyball game against Omaha became the highest attended women’s sporting event in history, drawing in over 92,000 spectators.
After a groundbreaking year for women’s sport, I’m beyond excited to see what lies ahead in 2024.