Tiffany Salmond is a New Zealand-born sports presenter who became the sideline reporter for Fox League in 2023, covering Warriors home games in the NRL. (Image: Instagram/Tiffany Salmond) Tiffany Salmond, a rising star in rugby league broadcasting, has called out what she describes as double standards and an ingrained "boys’ club" culture after her abrupt removal from Fox Sports’ coverage lineup ahead of the 2025 NRL season.Once a familiar face on the sidelines during New Zealand Warriors home games, the Kiwi presenter has gone public about her battle to understand why her contract wasn’t renewed and why no other networks have picked her up since.Salmond told the Sydney Morning Herald that she was first informed she wouldn’t return for sideline reporting duties just weeks before the season began.This was despite her strong rapport with viewers and internal praise for her commitment and performance.“I was told I wouldn’t be needed due to budgeting reasons related to the pending sale of Fox Sports to DAZN,” Salmond said. “What stung more was that there was never any intention to let me know unless I reached outLive EventsAccording to Stuff, Salmond had expected to be considered for other opportunities within the network and even moved to Sydney in anticipation. Instead, she says she found out she was entirely off the roster through an anonymous quote in the Daily Mail.Fox Sports managing director Steve Crawley later confirmed via email that “there was no role for her” for the season and that they would contact her if that changed, but offered no further comment as per Stuff.A job she created and carriedIn her Q&A with Sydney Morning Herald columnist Danny Weidler, Salmond said that she pioneered the sideline role in New Zealand: “It didn’t exist until I made it happen,” she said.With no live broadcasting experience prior, she juggled multiple roles on set, including presenter, producer, and floor manager, effectively creating a one-woman operation. Her work ethic was so evident, she says, that Fox paid her a higher rate than other sideline reporters.“I believe that passion and dedication came through in my work. It’s why the audience resonated with me so much,” she said.‘Not too loud, not too sexy’: Media double standardsSalmond alleges that her image and rising popularity may have worked against her in an industry still ruled by conservative norms and unspoken rules about how women should appear on-air.“The men are allowed to be edgy, loud, have huge personalities and take up space,” she told the Herald. “But women have to toe the line, attractive, but not too sexy. Knowledgeable, but not enough to outshine your male counterparts.”Despite her popularity, with 44,000 Instagram followers and widespread fan support, Salmond said she received zero support from her peers in the media and has been “completely iced out” from further opportunities.Too much success?Salmond insists there was no misconduct or controversy that led to her being sidelined. Instead, she believes she was quietly edged out for not fitting into traditional broadcasting molds.“I’m not a former player. I’m not someone’s daughter. I didn’t come through the usual production lines,” she said. “I built my own audience, my own voice, and I didn’t shrink myself to be palatable.”She said her growing influence may have become a threat to established structures. “If I gained any more airtime, I was going to outgrow the sideline role,” she added.Missed opportunity, not just for meAs rugby league looks to expand its global audience, including ambitions to break into the US market, Salmond believes her exit represents a missed opportunity not just for her career, but for the sport itself.“American sports culture doesn’t want bland. It wants bold, flashy, magnetic. That’s exactly what I brought,” she said. “Now I’m not there to introduce them to rugby league anymore.”Her final word: “If this isn’t a case of the boys’ club protecting its own, then I’d love to hear what it is.”Who is Tiffany Salmond?Tiffany Salmond is a New Zealand-born sports presenter who rose to prominence as the sideline reporter for Fox League, covering Warriors home games in the NRL. With no prior on-air experience, she carved out the role from scratch in 2023 after a Fox League director noticed her rugby league content on social media. Known for her confident delivery, deep game knowledge, and engaging interviews, Salmond quickly became a standout personality in rugby league broadcasting. Her growing popularity on Instagram, where she has over 44,000 followers, helped her build a loyal audience beyond traditional sports media channels.(You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel) Read More News onTiffany SalmondTiffany Salmond firedTiffany Salmond fired whyRugby Leagueboys’ club cultureNRL season 2025female sports presentersfoxsalmondkiwi (Catch all the Business News, Breaking News, Budget 2025 Events and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel)Read More News onTiffany SalmondTiffany Salmond firedTiffany Salmond fired whyRugby Leagueboys’ club cultureNRL season 2025female sports presentersfoxsalmondkiwi(Catch all the Business News, Breaking News, Budget 2025 Events and Latest News Updates on The Economic Times.) Subscribe to The Economic Times Prime and read the ET ePaper online....moreless Explore More Stories123