Proteas Women's captain Laura Wolvaardt.
Image: BackpagePix
The Proteas Women will be playing for a whopping $2 340 000 (close to R40 million) winners prize cheque at the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in the United Kingdom later this year.
The ICC have implemented a record prize fund of US$8,764,615, marking a 10% increase on the 2024 edition.
That figure eclipses the US$7,958,077 pot shared between the 10 competing nations in the United Arab Emirates two years ago as the tournament prepares to expand to 12 teams for the first time.
The winners will take home $2,340,000 (close to R40 million), with the runners up receiving $1,170,000.
The losing semi-finalists will earn $675,000, while every group match win will earn teams $31,154. All 12 participating teams will earn an assured minimum prize pot of $247,500.
Laura Wolvaardt’s team have finished runners-up in both previous ICC Women’s T20 World Cup in South Africa in 2023 and the UAE in 2024.
The prize money in the UAE, after losing the final to current T20 world champions New Zealand in Dubai, for the runners-up was also $1,170,000 (just under R20 million).
The landmark news comes just 60 days to go until the tournament gets underway on 12 June when England will take on Sri Lanka at Edgbaston, Birmingham.
The tournament openers will be joined by Australia, Bangladesh, India, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Scotland, South Africa and the West Indies, competing in the 33-match event which will be played across seven venues over 24 days, vying for the top prize.
The Proteas will look to bounce back from a disappointing 4-1 T20I series defeat to the White Ferns recently when they host a powerhouse India team in five matches, starting in Durban on Friday, as they complete their preparations for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup.