When everyone’s favourite West Tigers NRLW player Christian Pio sat down for her team’s new financial literacy workshop, she felt something unexpected: relief.
“I’ve never been confident in financial literacy,” she admits to Missing Perspectives. “So when I heard [non-bank lender] Pepper Money were coming to do a workshop for us, I felt relieved at the same time as nervous. I knew giving my finances attention was something I had neglected and I really needed education and support around it.”
Across Australia, women’s sport is surging – with record-breaking crowds, broadcast deals, and new commercial interest (although there’s still a long way to go). Yet behind the scenes, players continue to navigate the realities of short-term contracts, part-time pay, and juggling multiple jobs or study alongside performing at such an elite level. It goes without saying that the financial uncertainty can take a toll on focus on the field, and also mental health.
Enter: a new brand partnership that has everyone talking (and no, this isn’t paid – we just love exciting new partnerships in the women’s sports space). Pepper Money have partnered up with the Wests Tigers NRLW for “Mastering Money On and Off the Field” – a practical workshop designed to help players take control of their finances, and also plan for life beyond footy.
For the West Tigers club, the timing couldn’t be more crucial. “Women’s sport is evolving so quickly – it’s exciting, but it also comes with new challenges and expectations,” says Charmain Steventon, Head of Women’s Football at the Wests Tigers (who has also represented Australia at the highest level herself…just casually). “As the NRLW grows, we want to make sure our players are supported in every aspect, not just on the field. That includes giving them the tools to manage their money, plan for their futures and feel confident about life beyond footy.”
Steventon, who has experienced both the athlete and business sides of sport, says financial uncertainty remains one of the least understood pressures on female athletes. “There’s this assumption that being part of a professional competition means financial stability, but that’s not always the reality yet. If you’re worried about bills or what happens after your playing career, that pressure sits in the background.” For her, integrating financial literacy into athlete development is a natural extension of high-performance culture. “In elite sport we talk about controlling the controllables — and understanding your finances is a huge part of that. When players feel on top of things off the field, they perform better on it.”
For Pepper Money CEO Mario Rehayem, this kind of innovative partnership signals where the future of sponsorship in women’s sport is heading: purpose-driven, people-centred, and genuinely useful. “Financial literacy remains a widespread issue across Australia, and it’s especially pronounced in professional sport,” he tells Missing Perspectives. “For female athletes, the challenge is even greater. Many are at the early stages of their careers, juggling sport with study or part-time work. Partnering with the Wests Tigers was a natural fit – it gave us a chance to provide meaningful support from the outset, offering tools and education that can help these athletes approach their finances with the same focus and determination they bring to the game.”
For players like Pio, that sense of empowerment is already taking hold. “The workshop changed the way we think about money,” she says. “Any area where we can get support off the field – like how we manage our finances – helps reduce stress and allows us to focus on doing what we love.” These kinds of initiatives represent a wider shift in how brands are showing up in women’s sport. Rather than simply buying visibility and logo spots on a jersey, companies are co-creating programs that reflect the realities of players’ lives and the values of their audiences – and honestly, we want to see more of partnerships like these.
“It’s about creating opportunities, building confidence, and helping women in sport feel supported on every level. We want our athletes to grow as confident, capable women – on the field and beyond it,” Steventon says. And ultimately, that is what dynamic brand partnerships are now setting out to do – invest in women as people, and not just players.