Big boost for women’s cricket: Central Gauteng Lions to get proper contracts
Sponsors Imperial have jumped on board and ensured the women's game in the province can move on to the next level.
Raisibe Ntozakhe and Yolani Fourie of the Central Gauteng Lions. They’ll soon be receiving their first provincial contracts. Picture: Getty Images
Both Central Gauteng Lions Cricket and their title sponsors Imperial have stated that the advancement of women’s cricket is one of their main priorities and on Tuesday they put their money where their mouths are as the franchise’s women’s team became one of the first to get proper contracts.
Not only does the groundbreaking move see all senior women’s team players get a contract but Imperial are also sponsoring the two women’s premier club leagues.
Lions captain Yolani Fourie has been one of the stalwarts of women’s cricket who has soldiered on trying to balance work demands with playing high-performance sport and she said the move will be a game-changer for the team.
“It’s brilliant to now get some reward for playing and it’s a definite step in the right direction,” Fourie told The Citizen at the Wanderers on Tuesday.
“I started playing provincial cricket in 2008 and I’ve been with the Lions for the last seven years and it is so motivating to think that I’m going to get my first actual contract. The national team gives out 14 contracts and they are professional, but the next step is to do that at provincial level.
“We just want to be able to focus on our cricket and this shows that there is hope for the youngsters; a lot more of them will stick to playing cricket because they can see a future career in it for themselves.”
ALSO READ: CSA’s new interim board reveal plan of action to restore confidence
CGL chief executive Jono Leaf-Wright said he was confident the partnership with Imperial would result in more Lions players making the step up to international level, joining current Central Gauteng Proteas Ayabonga Khaka, who is playing at the IPL, and Raisibe Ntozakhe.
“We want to place women’s sport on the platform they deserve and create a high-performance space for them as well, because we know we have a championship side. Imperial really see the value in our women and also want to take women’s sport to the next level. We are very thankful for their investment, which means for the first time in our history, we can give our women’s team contracts, which means the world to us,” Leaf-Wright said.
For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.
For more news your way
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.
