After 33 years successfully climbing the corporate ladder as an international lawyer, Annette Wargon now spends some of her time teaching young professional sportswomen the secrets to success.

It’s quite rare for modern times, but it’s the way to go when dealing with the media.

This is the advice of some of Australia’s leading business men and women for elite sportswomen to improve their personal brand and public speaking skills. 

Two founders behind brand new charity Minerva Network talk about the importance of lifelong mentoring and supporting Australia’s women athletes. 

The inaugural Minerva Network workshop “Off the Field” was held on Friday 18^th May 2018 to a room of 50 Minerva Stars, Minerva Founders, Mentors and Champions.  Key note speakers Paul Harragon Sport Celebrity, Stephanie Tully EM Group Brand & Marketing/CMO, Georgina Robinson Sports Writer Fairfax, Suzy Nicoletti CEO Twitter Australia, Brooke Kennewell and Louise Rottier Westpac.

TWO of the Minerva Network’s rising stars, footballers Ellie Carpenter and Jada Whyman, are kicking goals on and off the pitch as their profiles soar on the back of standout performances for their clubs and country.

The Brisbane Broncos, St George Illawarra Dragons, Sydney Roosters and New Zealand Warriors have been named as the teams that will compete as part of the inaugural NRL Holden Women’s Premiership in 2018.

NRL Chief Executive, Todd Greenberg confirmed the four teams today, which finalises a full year of women’s rugby league competition.

In women's sport they call it the "grass ceiling". It's like the "glass ceiling" - that invisible barrier to advancement for professional women - which sees female sports stars paid considerably less and attracting considerably smaller corporate sponsorships than their male counterparts. Despite the fact Australia's national female sporting teams in sports such as cricket, rugby union, rugby league and football are as successful and in some cases more successful than their sporting brothers.

A SELL-OUT crowd descended on ANZ Stadium to see global idol Ed Sheeran open the Sydney leg of his World Tour. But the English singer-songwriter wasn’t the only star being celebrated.

On Level 3, overlooking the enormous crowd, the official launch of the Minerva Network recognised some of Australia’s best sportswomen.

The Minerva Network is a mentor program aimed at supporting elite female athletes both on and off the field.

The countdown to the Australian Sevens campaign at the Commonwealth Games is on, with both squads named on Thursday.

There’s nothing quite like an Olympic gold medal to catapult an athlete into the limelight. Just ask Alicia Quirk.

Women leaders supporting athletes in the business of sports.  The sports landscape in Australia is changing. The nation’s favourite pastime is experiencing a seismic cultural shift and, finally, our elite sportswomen are being offered the spotlight.

As the profile of women’s sport increases, so do the demands on its athletes. And these demands stretch well beyond the battleground.

The Minerva Network has been established to support elite sportswomen navigate commercial challenges, both on and off the field. The Network is pairing each of its athletes with an experienced business woman who will help them leverage their rising influence.