Because of the Matildas, I care about sport for the first time in my life

“It feels like a community that welcomes you with open arms, even if you’ve only decided you’re into soccer in the last week.”

I’ve hated sports for as long as I can remember. Playing it, watching it, you name it, I despise it. No matter where I am, I’m at a moment’s notice away from rattling off a laundry list of reasons why sports are bad: they fuel Australia’s gambling addiction, they cause thousands of injuries every year, they accentuate a widening pay gap, and they funnel government money away from important industries.

But my incredibly fun dinner party arguments don’t tell the full story. While I admit I’m more naturally inclined to pick up a book than pick up a ball, I never felt sports was for me. Australia endlessly boasts about its sporting culture, but it never occurred to me I could be included.

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A 90-minute soccer game changed all that, though. I was among the 6.54 million people who tuned in across free-to-air television and 7plus to watch Australia play against Denmark on Monday night. We broke a record – the Women’s World Cup match was Channel Seven’s largest television audience this year.

I found myself watching the game with a handful of friends, most of whom hadn’t watched a single minute of the World Cup either. I was, quite literally, sitting on the edge of my seat. It was thrilling joining in the roar of the telly, shouting out and cheering with what felt like the rest of Australia. National pride feels foreign to me, but I had a taste of it that night.

The next day in the Fashion Journal office, my colleagues shared a similar version of the same story. “Even though I enjoy healthy competition and sports-crowd camaraderie, I wasn’t raised to barrack – until the Matildas,” says FJ’s Assistant Editor, Izzy Wight.

She explains she never thought of herself as being ‘into sport,’ mainly because of its barriers to entry. “It sounds silly, but it always felt too late to immerse myself. The prerequisite knowledge wasn’t there… it was too late to start asking questions.”

On the other side of the spectrum is FJ’s Partnerships and Campaigns Manager, Ella Taverner; she’s the unofficial office ‘sports girl’. “Sport has always been in my DNA,” she admits. “Growing up, my weekends were spent oscillating between Saturday afternoon netball and Sunday morning tennis, while weeknights were reserved for leotards and MAG chalk at my local gymnasium.”

But this week in the office, we all found ourselves debating soccer’s offside rule (as Bend It Like Beckham puts it, it’s “when the French mustard has to be between the teriyaki sauce and the sea salt”). There was fun to be found in the obliviousness. “Sharing the enjoyment with friends at the pub or at home on the couch, it’s been such a joy to watch women’s sport dominate our screens,” Ella adds.

@courtrobro Saw my first live football match last night! ⚽️ #fifa #fifaworldcup #football #soccer #womensfootball #soccer #newzealand ♬ original sound – DL

My TikTok For You Page is now overrun by Sam Kerr vox pops and video explainers on who’s dating who in the soccer world. It isn’t dissimilar to the way I consume pop culture; the giddiness of the World Cup rivals Taylor Swift’s Eras tour. When girls and women feel accepted into spaces, there’s a joy that follows.

Besides, there’s no doubting how talented and hardworking these soccer players are. Just look at the viral French ad for the World Cup, dismantling gender bias and showcasing the skills of its national team.

“I love the nail-biting anticipation, untangling the cross-team queer romances, the magnificent displays of both sportsmanship and primal on-field rage,” Izzy says. “It feels like a community that welcomes you with open arms, even if you’ve only decided you’re into soccer in the last week.”

Nearly 70 per cent of Australians are watching more women’s sports now than prior to 2020. Women’s sports viewership has grown 18 per cent in the last year – that’s with women’s sports in Australia rarely exceeding 10 per cent of total sports coverage on any given day.

Women’s sports are as forgiving as they come. They don’t care about your lack of understanding, sporting ability or prior interest. They root for you, just as you’re rooting for them now.

Follow the best moments from the World Cup here.