Women’s Sport is Setting the Digital Pace & NZ Teams are Leading the Charge
4 of the top 11 fastest-growing professional sport team accounts this quarter are from NZ and 13 of the top 20 are women’s teams (we love to see it 🫶🏼)
Scout Q2 2025 benchmark (Apr–Jun) shows:
✨ #1: One NZ Warriors Women
✨ Auckland FC, Moana Pasifika & New Zealand Rugby also in the top 11
✨ Women’s teams dominate , incl. Gold Coast Titans, Wests Tigers, Brisbane Broncos & NSW Rugby League Ltd
Yes, some are new. Yes, they’re growing from smaller bases. But, follower growth isn’t automatic. It’s earned. This is momentum-driven growth, not passive popularity. Audience attention isn’t random. These teams are earning it by owning the moment
✨ Warriors NRLW returned after years away, riding the Wahs wave, stacked with talent and owned the comeback narrative
✨ Auckland FC didn’t just launch, they listened, crafting a brand voice that reflects their football-starved, identity-hungry audience
✨Moana Pasifika has shown that vibe, culture and authenticity are growth levers, their changing-room energy, Pasifika-led storytelling, and pride in place has built emotional equity
✨ NZ Rugby’s growth has been athlete-led. Their content didn’t just showcase performance, it made space for personality, identity and humour to shine through, creating connection well beyond the field.
⚠️ But zoom out, and something even more striking comes into focus: the teams driving digital growth this quarter are overwhelmingly women’s teams and it’s happening across codes.
From NRLW and AFLW to netball’s surge via the Mavericks, Lightning and Thunderbirds, women’s sport isn’t just catching up, it’s setting the pace.
What’s impressive isn’t just the growth. It’s the conditions it was built in.
✨ Many women’s teams only have digital staff in-season
✨ Athletes are often being asked to drive promo themselves before comms teams are even contracted
✨ Teams are expected to behave like year-round brands, without year-round support
And it’s not just a resourcing issue, it’s a structural one.
Many women’s teams are starting from zero. New handles. Separate strategies. No legacy audiences to inherit. They’re not just growing followers, they’re building digital identities from scratch.
That’s a challenge, but it’s also the opportunity. It means these teams are shaping fresh narratives & values, and untethered from old playbooks. And the data is clear: when given even a fraction of the spotlight, they deliver. Imagine what could happen with better investment!
💰 If you’re a brand, the signal’s clear: Women’s sport is driving digital growth and NZ teams are leading the way with bold, values-led content. This isn’t charity. It’s strategy. Time to invest 👀