Plush banquettes, floral designs and pink LEDs don’t make for your average sports bar – but as Australia’s first women’s sports bar, The Ladies League isn’t in the business of maintaining the status quo.
Soon to open, the 80-cover bar is wedged between the LGBTQ+ bars of Oxford Street, and Allianz Stadium and the Sydney Cricket Ground. It’s a strategic safe spot: there’s a natural overlap of women’s sports and the queer community.
“I feel like I’m providing a space to a group of people who previously felt like they didn’t have a space,” says founder Rose Valente, pointing to a dearth of women’s sports venues as much as lesbian bars in Sydney. “Whatever you identify as, if you want to watch and enjoy a women’s game, this is where you come.”
The bar is the in-real-life version of what began as a sports-focused website and online community founded by Valente in 2017, also called The Ladies League. The 34-year-old, who has a background in hospitality and administration, hopes it might open in time for the launch of the women’s AFL season on Friday. Whenever it lands, she’s confident there’s a thirst for it.
“Some women don’t want to be around men watching NRL in a man-cave,” Valente says. “I love a man-cave, but I’m more about colour and comfy chairs.” Her mum has even crocheted a set of cushion covers.
The trusty sports bar tropes are there: screens on every wall, low lighting, team merch, beers on tap and signed footballs. There’s the Alex Chidiac Bench, sponsored by the Matildas and Melbourne Victory midfielder who contacted Valente to offer her support. A TLL Instagram follower donated a signed Australian women’s cricket shirt. There are jerseys of every colour and code, and pride flag-emblazoned Sydney Swans and Adelaide United scarves.
Plus, the TVs are reinforced.
“Women still throw glasses at TVs and get rowdy,” Valente says. “If there’s a penalty shoot-out, I wouldn’t rule anything out.”
Women’s sports viewing has traditionally been marketed as family-friendly, but this version gives over 18s somewhere to eat, drink and holler at the screen.
“We want to be loud and passionate about the sports we watch,” she says. “Women’s crowds can also be more tame but we still want to have a drink.”
Men are welcome at the bricks-and-mortar League. And, if the crowd wants to see a men’s game, she’s open to that. Gaps in programming will be filled by replays of women’s games and she’s in touch with Optus about a women’s sports channel. There will be karaoke and trivia nights, and perhaps movie screenings in the same vein as Set Piece Social in London, where events celebrate women’s sports players as much as the spectators.
The League also follows from the success of Portland’s The Sports Bra, which was a trailblazer when it opened in 2022, and A Bar of Their Own in Minneapolis.
In Australia, the fervour around the Matildas gave Valente the kick she needed to open the bar: the footballers toppled records a year ago when their Women’s World Cup semi-final defeat to England was watched by 11.15 million viewers, catapulting it to the most watched television show on record. Women dominated at the Paris Olympics – 32 of Australia’s 53 medals went to women.
“There’s 100% something about right now,” Valente says. “Women are coming in hard with sport and women want to watch it.”
But while the Matildas may be shown in mainstream bars, netball and basketball are a different story. Victorian government research released in February found just 15% of sports news coverage in the state covered women’s sport in 2022-23. Men’s sport remains the default in bars – and on TVs – around the world.
“Even if the bar had the right channel to show [women’s games], the NRL would be put on,” Valente says. “You feel like you’ll be fighting to watch something – it’s just not a comfortable experience.”
She recalls the days when champion footballer Sam Kerr used to hand out flyers advertising Perth Glory games. There’s a little of that spirit here – all of the merchandise on the walls has been donated. They’ve sold specially designed jerseys as part of crowdfunding efforts and 145 foundation members have their names displayed on the wall, one of whom is Young Matildas coach Lean Blayney.
What’s missing – besides male players – is betting in any shape or form. Valente has been contacted by a betting agency, she says, “but I said no. I’m not in the business of selling my soul.”
She’s used to male negativity targeted at TLL online, but it no longer fazes her – and she’s fairly certain none of the haters will visit the League.
“When I announced the bar, everyone was just obsessed with the idea,” she says. “And then immediately everyone told me they need one in their city.
First, though, she’ll focus on Sydney and its Swifts, Swans, Flames and FC players and fans. Just don’t tell them that she supports Adelaide United.
