Her Sport Her Way Champion: Recognises a woman for her outstanding achievements during 2019, as a coach, official, administrator or leader, and a commitment to furthering opportunities for women and girls to participate.
Tiffany Slater, GM - Women's Elite Program, NRL
As the NRL General Manager of the Women’s Elite Program, Tiffany has been the driving force behind the implementation and growth of women’s elite rugby league, including Women’s State of Origin, NRLW and the Jillaroos.
Tiffany has championed women’s rugby within the NRL and fostered positive relationships with her counterparts in elite women’s sport space. Tiffany’s advocacy at the NRL contributed to the women’s elite competition being established and women players earning more to than ever before.
In 2019, Tiffany led elite women’s rugby league to a new level – the first two standalone NRLW matches - one in Auckland and the other in Sydney. The Women’s State of Origin and the NRLW Grand Final were also the two most watched women’s sports programs in 2019.
Her role in shaping the game at the elite level is having a profound effect on grassroots rugby league, with more females than ever playing the game. Importantly, young girls now have rugby league role models and a pathway to elite competition.
In 2019 Tiffany was selected for the INSEAD Singapore Chief Executive Women’s ‘Leading for Results’ Scholarship, providing the opportunity to further develop her leadership skills. Her selection was testament to her remarkable leadership in growing women’s rugby league in Australia.
Her Sport Her Way Young Achiever Award: Recognises an individual under 25 who has made a significant contribution to the advancement of women or girls in sport during 2019.
Claudia Bell NSW Rugby
In 2019, Claudia tripled the number of teams in the Metro based Girls 7s competition from 23 to 75. She also instigated the inaugural all-girl Camp Waratah with more than 60 participants.
Her work in the schools across metropolitan Sydney is significant, with 40 rugby programs completed. Claudia also administers school’s competitions which have doubled the number of teams in the past 12 months.
Claudia has also completed a Level Two Coaching accreditation, Level one Match Official accreditation and become a World Rugby Trainer.
Her Sport Her Way Outstanding Organisation Award: Recognises an organisation’s significant contribution to the advancement of women’s sport during 2019.
Northern NSW Football
Northern NSW Football (NNSWF) is a leader in advancement of women’s football. Some of their achievements in 2019 include:
• A record 16,700 registered female participants;
• More than 40 per cent female representation on their Board and appointing the first female chair of an FFA Member Federation;
• Began construction on the upgrade of Lake Macquarie Regional Football Facility which includes appropriate, safe and female friendly change rooms, toilets and meeting facilities; and
• Securing funding through Sport Australia to deliver a ground-breaking program to get adult women more active through football as well as awarding 12 Female Coach Education Scholarships.
Her Sport Her Way Trailblazers: Recognises up to three women whose exceptional efforts over the long-term have advanced the opportunities for women’s and girls’ involvement in sport.
Alex Blackwell, cricket pioneer and LGBTQI advocate
Alex began her elite cricket career in 2001 and went on to become one of Australia’s most successful ever cricketers. She has been at the forefront of the revolution to full-time professionalism, record television audiences and enormous cultural change within cricket.
Alex is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion within sport with a focus on gender equality and LGBTI inclusion. Earlier this year she was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of New South Wales for her work in fighting for equality on and off the field.
In 2018 Alex became the first woman to be elected to the board of Cricket NSW in the organisation’s 159-year history. After 18 years at the top, Alex has left the game of cricket in a much fairer, equitable, inclusive and better place than when she arrived.
Johanna Adriaanse, UTS/ International Women’s Group for Women and Sport
Dr. Johanna Adriaanse’s achievements to advance women and sport span 25 years at local, national and international level.
As a UTS academic, Johanna has published research on gender diversity on sports boards, role models in teenage girls and increasing girls’ participation in sport and recreation.
From 2005-2019, she held executive roles in the International Working Group on Women and Sport – the world’s largest network dedicated to advancing sport by empowering women and girls.
In partnership with Office of Sport and UTS, Johanna led the successful bid and hosted the World Conference on Women and Sport in Sydney in 2010.
She also co-founded the The Sydney Scoreboard, a global index that monitors gender diversity in sport leadership.
Carolyn Campbell, CEO, Netball NSW
In her 17 years at Netball NSW, Carolyn has been at the forefront of facility development for women’s sport. She oversaw the planning, construction and relocation of the sport’s headquarters to Netball Central - the venue for the 2015 Netball World Cup.
Carolyn has also increased Netball NSW’s presence at national level with the establishment of GIANTS Netball, expanding the state’s high-performance netball pathway.
Carolyn was a key member of the working group for the $50 million redevelopment of Ken Rosewall Arena which the Swifts and GIANTS will now call home.
She is also leading the development of a new shared training base for the NSW Swifts and long-time partners, the Sydney Swans, at Sydney’s Moore Park.
Outside of her netball duties, Carolyn also holds the role of Chair of Sport NSW.