TWS Marks Three Years with Fair Prize Money Campaign

Marking three years since its industry changing inception, Telegraph Women’s Sport (TWS) has launched its Close the Gap campaign calling for fair prize money across women’s sport. 

Backed by a host of high profile sports figures including amongst others: Judy Murray OBE, Ian Wright, Poppy Cleall, Dame Laura Kenny, Justin Rose, Lizzie Deignan, Zoe Aldcroft, Jamie Carragher, Chloe Morgan, Vivianne Miedema, Maggie Alphonsi MBE, Dame Jessica Ennis- Hill, and Will Greenwood, Close the Gap uncovers the huge disparities between male and female prize money from the Six Nations to the Euros and other elite sporting events.    

Amongst those backing the campaign, Olympic and World cycling champion Laura Kenny said: “Women’s sport has seen great strides forward in recent years, but there is still so much to do in terms of closing the gap on prize money. As female athletes we put in the same number of hours and make the same sacrifices, yet our rewards are completely different.”

Jamie Carragher, former Liverpool and England footballer and Telegraph columnist, said: “Prize money was not something I ever had to think or worry about when I was playing. Women’s football deserves fair prize money so I’m backing the #CloseTheGap campaign to help grow the game. I want the next generation of female footballers to be better rewarded for their success on the pitch and enabled to fulfil their potential.”

Key findings from the campaign can be read here.

TWS launched in March 2019, with a commitment to deliver unprecedented coverage of women’s sport across all platforms. The TWS manifesto outlined its key pledges which included increased editorial coverage of women’s sport, campaigning on key issues, and audience growth through investment in specialist journalists and encouraging more female bylines.  

Recently named top print title for visibility of women’s sport in the Women’s Sport Trust Visibility Uncovered report, TWS’s award-winning supplements have featured global stars such as Naomi Osaka, Maria Sharapova, and male sporting allies Andy Murray and Ian Wright on its covers. The supplement has been hailed for setting the agenda and exploring topics such as menstruation and body image. 

In addition to increasing awareness of women’s sport, this year TWS is investing in future talent and launching two paid internships. The month-long summer internships are now open for applications and will be based at The Telegraph’s London newsroom.  

Notes to Editors 

About TWS

TWS’s groundbreaking journalism and campaigns have resulted in significant change over the past three years.  The award-winning Girls, Inspired campaign launched in 2019, lobbying for better sports provision for schoolgirls and resulted in the government pledging a new national strategy. Its wide ranging investigations into sexual abuse lead to the reopening of a police investigation.  Its recent Maternity rights investigation highlighted how childcare provision and maternity rights across English sport were almost nonexistent. Subsequent to TWS raising the issue, the first ever maternity guidelines have since been published by UK Sport. This includes a new sports-wide maternity pay policy, which guarantees elite athletes full funding throughout their pregnancy and up to nine months after giving birth.

More details on the TWS internships are available here. To be considered, applicants must be at least 18 years of age and have the right to work in the UK. The four week internship will be paid at the London Living Wage.

TWS hosted a sold out subscriber event earlier this week – An Evening with Judy Murray and Friends – which recognised women’s sporting achievements in 2021 and looked ahead at an exciting year for women’s sport in 2022.  The star-studded event hosted by Judy Murray featured Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, Alice Tai MBE and Maggie Alphonsi MBE.