Sam Kerr named the Most Influential Woman in Australian Sport

2 min read 8 March 2023

Sam Kerr has been named the Most Influential Woman in Australian Sport. The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and Wide World of Sports teamed up to choose the top 50 most influential women in Australian sport, with the CommBank Matildas' skipper named number 1.

The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and Wide World of Sports named their annual list to celebrate Internation Women's Day, with the top 50 most influential women in Australian sports named.

A list of 10 judges curated their own top 20, with votes apportioned in reverse order.

CommBank Matildas' skipper, Sam Kerr, took out number 1 on the list with 185 votes to her name. A year that saw the accolades pile in for the forward, from being named on the 2022 FIFA FIFPRO Women’s World 11 for the very first time to picking up the Women’s PFA Players’ Player of the Year Award, becoming the first Australia to win PFA Players' Player of Year.

Sam Kerr dons Pride jersey and armband v Spain at Cup of Nations 2023 - Rachel Bach (By The White Line) — Sam Kerr dons Pride jersey and armband v Spain at Cup of Nations 2023 - (Photo: Rachel Bach/By The White Line)

Off the field Sam Kerr received an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for services to football while she was featured on the cover of FIFA23, becoming the FIRST female Global Cover Star for the Ultimate Edition.

Last year saw Kerr become Australia's all-time leading goalscorer, having overtaken fellow footballing legend Tim Cahill.

See the full list!

Most Influential Woman in Australian Sports Top 10 is as follows: Name (Votes)

1. Sam Kerr (185) - Footballer
2. Gina Rinehart (130) - Mining magnate
3. Ash Barty (116) - Former Tennis player
4. Cate Campbell (82) - Swimmer
5. Ellyse Perry (81) - Cricketer
6. Lauren Jackson (75) - Basketball player
7. Daisy Pearce (71) - Former AFLW player
8. Josephine Sukkar (70) - Australian Sports Commission chair
9. Caroline Wilson (67) - Journalist
10. Alyssa Healy (61) - Cricketer