The first football World Cup of either gender to be held in Australasia will prove a useful barometer of how far the women’s game has climbed in sport’s hierarchy. For decades Australians have been staying up late or waking early to follow events on the other side of the globe. Now, those positions are reversed and the big question is: how many will watch?
The television companies gave their answer, much to the annoyance of FIFA whose decision to uncouple broadcast rights from the men’s competition was unfortunately timed. The