Anthony Albanese has pledged a $200 million investment in women's sports. 

The funding announcement marks one of the largest commitments to women's sports in the nation's history.

New money, to be channelled through the new 'Play Our Way' grants program, aims to enhance sporting facilities and equipment specifically tailored for women and girls. 

It comes as the Matildas' remarkable journey to the World Cup semi-finals, witnessed by millions of fans, has sparked a newfound passion for women's sports across Australia.

Prime Minister Albanese says the Matildas' incredible run has transformed women's sports in the country.

“The Matildas have given us a moment of national inspiration. This is about seizing that opportunity for the next generation, investing in community sporting facilities for women and girls around Australia,” he said.

Matildas captain Sam Kerr has stressed the importance of increased funding for women's sports development. 

“The comparison to other sports isn't really good enough. And hopefully, this tournament changes that because that's the legacy you leave - not what you do on the pitch. The legacy is what you do off the pitch,” she said.

Prime Minister Albanese acknowledged the transformative impact of not only the Matildas but also other women's teams such as the Diamonds in netball and the Wallaroos in rugby. 

He expressed the government's commitment to sustaining this momentum across generations.

Sport Minister Anika Wells highlighted that the $200 million commitment would provide women with dedicated facilities and gear, eliminating the need to rely on resources from men's teams. 

“Too often women and girls are changing in men's bathrooms, wearing hand-me-down boys' uniforms, playing with men's equipment on poor fields that boys' teams wouldn't train on,” she said. 

The government's funding allocation will be determined by an expert advisory panel, seeking to avoid the controversies of previous sporting grants schemes. Applications for funding will be accepted from early 2024.