Three-time rugby union World Cup front-rower Louise Burrows hopes a golden generation of female athletes and sporting opportunities will inspire girls to dream big.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
But the Wallaroos veteran has a simple goal that highlights some of the inequities between men and women despite the rise of elite female competitions.
Burrows, 39, just wants to Australian women's 15-a-side players not to be out of pocket when they play for the Wallaroos.
The mum of two and teacher will have to take an extra eight weeks of leave to play for her country and while expenses are covered, there is no income replacement.
"You've got to be realistic. And I am, I really am," Burrows said.
"I know that there needs to be bums on seats and everything like that and I don't know if women will ever get paid the same as male athletes.
"But I'd love to play for my country and not be out of pocket. I don't think that's too much to ask ... I think that's realistic."
Burrows will be a part of a women in sport forum organised by the ACT government on Thursday to discuss the way forward for female athletes.
There will be a screening of the Angela Pippos documentary of the rise of the AFL Women's competition and a discussion involving netball coach Sharyn Hill, GWS Giants AFL Women's general manager Libby Sadler and Canberra Capitals coach Paul Goriss.
The AFL Women's competition has raised the bar for female sports and the WNBL is trying to keep up by targeting a new broadcast deal with Fox Sports and introducing a minimum wage for players.
The forum coincides with the GWS Giants playing their first AFL Women's game at Manuka Oval on Saturday night and and the the club's Super Netball side playing at the AIS Arena on Sunday.
"Women in sport was always going to get there. It was just a matter of when it was going to happen and which sports are going to start it off," said Giants shooter Kristina Brice.
"I think it's really good that netball has been able to be one of those sports that has really looked out for women in sport, and been able to set a benchmark for other [sports]."
The mentality has shifted towards female athletes and coaches in recent years to give them a better chance of pursuing their sporting dreams.
"I don't see myself as a female coach, I just see myself as a coach," said Australian netball coach Lisa Alexander.
"We might not have been paid the same amount, but we've been professional for a long time.
"I'm just really delighted the other half of the population are getting encouraged to play sport, love it and not think it's something a bit different. If this encourages little girls to get into sport, then fantastic."
Burrows is targeting a fourth World Cup with the tournament to be played in Ireland in August.
"To be a female athlete at the moment ... it's really exciting," Burrows said.
"There's a step in the right direction of people accepting women can play male dominated sports.
"For a while, when I said I was playing rugby people thought I meant I was playing touch.
"Now they're accepting us for who we are and what we want to do within our sports. For me, that's exciting because it has changed so much and women are getting recognised as athletes."
