Sports Anchor Axed From Network Amid Claims It’s Becoming ‘Boys Club’

Australia’s Channel Seven female talent exodus continues as sports reporter Laura Spurway becomes the latest casualty in what insiders describe as a troubling pattern. The respected journalist learned her fate this week and broke the news to colleagues through a brief internal email.

“Hi team, just letting you all know I’ve finished up today after being told my contract isn’t being renewed,” Spurway wrote in the message obtained by the Herald Sun. “Apologies I’m not able to see everyone in person but thank you for your help and guidance over the past four years. I wish you all the best in your travels at Seven, Laura.”

According to the Daily Mail, Spurway’s departure appears linked to the network’s recent recruitment of Xander McGuire to the sports team. The 22-year-old former Nine Network reporter—son of media personality Eddie McGuire—reportedly joined Seven following a six-month sabbatical in Scotland.

The decision to terminate Spurway, who joined Seven’s sports department in 2021 after stints at Nine and Network Ten’s The Project, has intensified concerns about gender representation at the broadcaster. The Herald Sun reports that phrases like “it’s a return of the boys club” and “they are all about promoting the guys” are increasingly circulating through Seven’s corridors.

One anonymous source told the publication that Spurway was considered a “hard working talent who worked her guts out,” with her dismissal leaving team members feeling “deflated.” Another insider bluntly stated: “The place just isn’t keeping senior women around,” describing the situation as “absolutely cooked.”

Spurway’s exit comes just days after weekend sports presenter Abbey Gelmi announced her departure from Seven after less than two years in the role. “I’ve had so many incredible opportunities at Seven but it’s the right time for the next chapter,” Gelmi told the Herald Sun. “I’m forever grateful for the experience and life long friends gained.”

Though Gelmi characterized the split as a “mutual decision,” newsroom sources suggest her schedule became problematic after returning from maternity leave. “If it was a man, people would be saying good on them for sticking up for themselves, but when it’s a woman they are seen as difficult,” an insider told the outlet. “Bottom line is they can’t handle strong women who give a bit of push back.”

These departures follow a string of female talent exits from Seven’s news division, including weekend weather presenter Sonia Marinelli, award-winning political reporter Sharnelle Vella, and journalists Jayde Vincent and Emma O’Sullivan. According to the Daily Mail, the remaining senior female on-air talent includes Rebecca Maddern, Cassie Zervos, Bethan Yeoman, and Karina Carvalho, who joined in July last year.

The female talent drain coincides with broader restructuring under Seven West Media boss Anthony De Ceglie, who assumed leadership in April last year. De Ceglie has overseen the replacement of section leaders nationwide with younger managers, installing fresh news directors in Sydney, Melbourne, and Adelaide, along with new executive producers for flagship programs Sunrise, Weekend Sunrise, and Spotlight.

Seven’s talent reshuffling extends beyond female presenters. Veteran Queensland sports head Ben Davis was recently axed after three decades with the network. In a LinkedIn post cited by the Daily Mail, Davis revealed that management told him the decision “was nothing to do with performance, ability, or talent – it’s just business.”

These changes come amid what the Daily Mail describes as a “cost-cutting bloodbath” that has seen Seven West Media eliminate approximately 150 editorial positions over the past year, affecting well-known personalities, including Queensland newsreader Sharyn Ghidella and veteran weatherman Paul Burt.