All talk of diversity in sports can be taken with a grain of salt if there aren't moves to make being a professional sportsperson a viable career choice for women.
Before the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup, most of the five-time champion Black Ferns outfit worked fulltime in order to support themselves while representing their country.
It took until a fifth title for moves to be made to professionalise New Zealand's premier sport in terms of viewership.
The move by NZF should address a worrying trend in player numbers through teenage years. A New Zealand Young People's Survey on sport and recreation showed while numbers through 5-10 are strong (roughly 76,000 girls that age play), that drops to just 40,000 between the ages of 15 and 18.
Granted, that's the time where a lot of sport numbers descend. However the lack of a pathway to professionalism is a significant barrier.
There aren't a lot of options for professional women's footballers and, until recently, that issue was rife in New Zealand.
Whangarei's Abby Erceg, New Zealand's all-time leader in international women's appearances, retired in 2017 after not being adequately supported by the national body.
Her return to the national fold this year has signalled that things have changed and while speaking to Women's Soccer Zone, Erceg said she was proud to be part of the change.
"For us not to be able to get to those tournaments in the best possible shape that we can be is hard sometimes so New Zealand Football has recognised the importance in that, not only from an equality point of view, from a performance point of view," she said.
"I've asked for things in the past and kicked up a fuss, but now New Zealand Football has come to the party with the agreement, and I think it is positive and exciting."
With the continual pushing by New Zealand's football leader in the women's game has seen real and important change being made.
There is a continuing narrative that it is public buy-in in terms of spectators actually attending games that should dictate pay.
But this is a flawed strategy. The Blues home crowds have dwindled in Super Rugby after a string of abject home performances but that hasn't impacted their compensation.
What is usually a give-in is when players can focus solely on their sport without any off-field distractions, performances more often than not improve.
Without having to worry about a steady source of income viable enough to support their pursuit of national representation, players will be able to focus unburdened.
Armchair critics always point out the notion that sportspeople of international quality should be content with purely representing the country. There's always a negative connotation that comes with any talk of player mobility and taking the big bucks while on offer.
But to not pay international sportspeople enough to play without having another job is simply unacceptable in the professional era of sports - especially if their male counterparts are making a living.
Rugby and rugby league are two other sports who have made big strides in offering a genuine career path for women that is sorely lacking.
NZF have made a highly admirable step in sporting equality but more needs to be done - all for the love of the game.
