New Zealand women cricketers to receive same pay as men in historic NZC contract

07/05/2022

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New Zealand women cricketers have reached an agreement with New Zealand Cricket to earn the same match fees and facilities as men after the players’ association signed a groundbreaking five-year deal. The deal comes into effect from August 1 and has been commended by men and women players alike.

The New Zealand Players’ Association became part of a landmark contract on Tuesday after lending their signature to New Zealand Cricket’s latest proposal. The agreement states that the men and women cricketers of the country will receive the same match fee across all formats and competitions on both the domestic as well as the international stage.

The women cricketers will also be entitled to the same accommodation, travel, training and other such facilities, ensuring an equitable overall environment for both contingents of cricketers. The contract will come into effect from August 1, 2022, marking an important day in the cricketing history of the island nation,

“This is the most important agreement in our sport, as it binds NZC, the major associations, and our players at the hip, and sets the foundation to fund, grow and develop cricket,” NZC Chief Executive David White said in a statement.

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“It’s been a collaborative yet very robust negotiation. Importantly, it represents a significant step forward as we continue to grow our investment in women’s cricket.”

The men will still receive higher retainers, owing to the larger number of matches in their annual calendars, also resulting in longer training periods throughout the year.

The match fees for Tests has been set at $10,250, while ODIs and T20Is will earn the players $4,000 and $2,500 respectively. For the Plunket Shield, the players will receive $1,750 dollars per game. The premier domestic one-day competitions for men and women, namely the Ford Trophy and Hallyburton Johnstone Shield, will each earn the players $800. The Super Smash, which is the oldest running domestic T20 tournament featuring both men and women leagues, will see the players take home $500 at the end of each game.

The agreement was warmly welcomed by Black Caps skipper Kane Williamson.

“It’s really important for the current players to build on the legacy of those who have gone before us, and to support tomorrow’s players, both men and women, at all levels,” the skipper remarked.

“This agreement goes a long way towards achieving that.”

Another feature of the agreement is the increase of women’s domestic contracts to 72 players, 18 more than the previous tally of 54. A long time advocate of women’s sports, White Ferns captain Sophie Devine shared a positive message after the announcement.

“It’s great for the international and domestic women players to be recognised in the same agreement, alongside the men,” she remarked.

“It’s a massive step forward and will be a huge drawcard for young women and girls.”