The evolution of maternity policies in elite sport (+ drafting tips for clubs & governing bodies)

Once upon a time, the idea of an athlete mother (let alone the concept of a sport-specific maternity policy!) was an alien concept in the world of elite sport. The narrative was that motherhood was somehow fundamentally incompatible with being an elite athlete. Thankfully that narrative is changing, with increasing numbers of athletes becoming mothers and then returning to professional competition, showing that women shouldn’t have to choose between having a family and pursuing their sporting careers. Recent success stories include tennis player, Elina Svitolina[1], who reached the quarter final of the French Open and the semi-final of Wimbledon this year on her return from maternity leave; track and field athlete, Shaunae Miller-Uibo[2], who won a gold medal in the 400 metres at the 2023 Zurich Diamond League a matter of months after giving birth; and the half a dozen mothers selected to represent their national teams in this year’s FIFA women’s (football) world cup.

To help sustain this positive trajectory, given that the majority of female athletes are at the peak of their sporting careers during their most fertile years, sports governing bodies and clubs are putting in place sport-specific maternity policies to support and accommodate their athletes, although some would argue that there remains a long way to go. This article examines how matters are progressing, looking in turn at:

• Tennis
• Rugby union
• Football
• Tips for sports governing bodies and clubs on drafting maternity policies