‘This is my naked truth’: The Matildas’ nude calendar 24 years on
Back to when life was very different for the women representing the Australian Matildas.
World Football · BBC World Service
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Show Notes
As the Australian Matildas get ready to kick off their home World Cup campaign, Katie Smith goes back to a time when life was very different for the women representing the national side when they weren’t full time professionals selling out stadiums, when money was tight and publicity almost non-existent.
Let’s go back to 1999 - a year out from the Sydney Olympics, when Australian sports teams were desperate to get media coverage and capitalise on a game changing event for the nation. That’s where the Matildas’ nude calendar idea came from - pose naked, gain attention, challenge gender stereotypes, raise funds - but it didn’t end up being that simple.
Katie met up with former Matilda Tracie McGovern, who featured in that now infamous calendar, to take a trip back in time.