Farrer & Co Women in Sport - Report - Page 16
In the Premier League,
Tottenham Hotspur are
the only club that meets
the 30% threshold
40% Tottenham
Hotspur
30% Threshold
The case for
progressive clubs
The role of women in UK sport and the
profile of the various women’s games have
never had greater focus and coverage.
Words by Julian Pike
Prior to the introduction of the UK
Sports Governance Code in 2016,
broadly speaking, women on boards
were predominantly the exception, not
the rule and their number rarely, if ever,
reflected the participation levels of
women and girls in their sport. Only
a handful of female-dominated sports
such as equestrian, netball and
rounders had more women than
men on their boards.
That is not to say prior to 2016,
there was no movement – there was,
but it was a trickle. The new
Governance Code, in introducing a
“comply or explain” requirement for
centrally funded UK NGBs to have at
least 30% of both sexes, but with an
aim for parity when possible, created
a momentum shift.
Our research shows that as of
autumn 2019, 72% (41 out of 57) of
surveyed NGBs now meet the 30%
threshold. There are six more NGBs
which have 27-29% of women on their
boards. 37% have a woman in a
leadership position, namely the Chair,
CEO or CFO. There have been one or
two further appointments in the recent
weeks. Eight NGBs – British Cycling
(50%); British Equestrian (58%); British
Fencing (50%); England Handball (60%);
16
England Netball (70%); GB Hockey
(50%); Pentathlon GB (56%); Rounders
England (88%) – have reached parity or
better, albeit some started above 50%
before 2016.
Only two of the 57 NGBs we
surveyed – or 4% – have no women
on their boards, these being Bowls
Development Alliance and British
Curling. As for the three largest
participation sports – football, rugby
and cricket – which have all seen
considerable promotion and success
of their women’s games, they are there
or thereabouts with the 30% minimum.
The FA leads the way with four out of
10 female board members (40%), the
England & Wales Cricket Board has four
out of 12 (33%) female board members,
while the RFU are at 29% with four
out of 14.
Some of the change has come
about not without a fight, albeit
typically as part of a wider governance
modernisation programme within NGBs,
with Table Tennis England being a prime
example where the revised constitution
was rejected at the first time of asking.
However, the threat of government
funding being removed will
unquestionably have played its part
in encouraging NGBs to significantly
bring about change.
By comparison, what of the professional
clubs in the three major sports? In
looking at football, rugby and cricket,
it is worth reminding ourselves that
these three sports not only have
enjoyed considerable on-field success
in their women’s games, but they each
have the development of the women’s
game at the heart of their overarching
strategies, with The FA and the RFU
kindly outlining their strategies in this
report. So far, so good, but it is
important to recognise that there is
more to achieve both in terms of the
number of women sitting on boards,
but also to ensure that there is genuine
inclusivity in decision-making and
leadership of the respective sports.
The stark reality in the comparison
between the UK’s NGBs and its leading
professional clubs could not be clearer.
Women in Sport – Levelling the playing field
