Women’s Sports Bar The Ladies League To Close
Image: Image: @theladiesleague/Instagram
The Ladies League, Australia’s first women’s sports bar, has announced it will not be reopening its doors in the new year.
In a statement on Instagram on late on Wednesday night, owner Rose Valente said that it was a decision made with a heavy heart.
“As a women’s sports bar, we excelled,” the post read. “Anyone who attended a Matildas, Sydney FC, Grand Final etc game day at our venue, knows what a show we can put on. Unfortunately it is outside of live games, that we felt the struggle as much as many hospitality venues in this economic climate.
While Valente knew about the difficulties of operating a small business during a cost of living crisis, she said it was something she wanted to do for women’s sport visibility.
“We had full belief we would not be in this position at this early stage. We have nothing but gratitude for everyone that supported us and apologise for this result.
“We hope this doesn’t discourage anyone from opening a similar concept in the future, the support we felt from the community was amazing. It’s unfortunately a hard reality of how people are choosing to spend their money at this stage.”
In its short time on Oxford Street, the Ladies League was met with great support from the women’s sports community. The comments on the post were full of support and disappointment, with several interstate commenters wishing they had been able to go.
The Ladies League made history just by opening its doors
The bar attracted national attention when it opened on Oxford Street at the end of August last year.
In an interview with Women’s Agenda before the bar’s opening, Valente said she felt as though the demand for a dedicated women’s sports bar was high, especially after the heightened interest over the the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2023.
“I feel like as a woman, when you go into a sports bar sometimes, you are kind of looked at,” she said. “You’re not made to feel comfortable. As a woman patron, you do feel like you’re in somebody else’s house. The vibe is just off.”
The venue’s location on Oxford Street, as well as the intersections of women’s sports and queerness, made the Ladies League a welcoming space for those in the LGBTQIA+ community, especially for lesbians and other queer women.
“Queer people will be a huge portion of the customer base,” Valente said. “Women’s sport is sort of intertwined with a queer community, and a lot of players and supporters are queer. We’re kind of going with the philosophy of — we’re for everyone.”
