THE REPUBLIC OF Ireland women’s national football team will wear purple wristbands in solidarity with Canada in their international friendly against China PR in Marbella tomorrow.
Ireland’s World Cup group rivals are embroiled in a dispute over pay equity.
Vera Pauw’s side face Canada in their second outing in Perth on 26 July, with co-hosts Australia and Nigeria also joining them in Group B at their first-ever major tournament.
Earlier this month, the Canadian team released a powerful statement and launched a strike to protest against inequality and lack of funding.
They later called it off, saying in a statement that the national federation had threatened legal action. Captain Christine Sinclair claimed her team were being “forced back to work” and would play in the SheBelieves Cup “under protest”.
Sinclair and co. say they will wear purple — a colour “historically associated with efforts to achieve gender equality,” their Players’ Association wrote in a statement – until Canada Soccer “has standards in place that ensure equal treatment and opportunity”.
— CanadianSoccerPlayers (@PlayersCanadian) February 16, 2023
European champions England are among the teams to have worn purple wristbands this international break in a show of support, with Pauw’s Ireland joining them tomorrow when they line out at the Estadio Nuevo Mirador [KO 1pm Irish time, live on RTÉ News Channel].
“The players have asked if they can wear the wristbands,” Pauw explained to the Irish media in Spain today. “I said that’s a management decision and the management is okay with it.”
“For us, we’re wearing it because we just want to support them,” Megan Connolly explained. “Us as a team, we’ve been through it before and come out the other end, so I think for us, it’s just to show a stance with them that we support them. I think a lot of other teams have done it. I know the USA have done it. For us, it’s just to show support.”
Pauw also confirmed that captain Katie McCabe will wear a rainbow armband tomorrow — “I’m fully behind that” — as off-field matters and politics continue to dominate this World Cup year.
Saudi Arabia’s reported sponsorship of this summer’s tournament in Australia and New Zealand has raised eyebrows, along with further questions over Fifa’s ethics.
While noting the deal had not yet been finalised, Pauw said it is “a concern” for Ireland, due to women’s rights in Saudi Arabia. They have not yet discussed it as a group, waiting first on the confirmation.
“We have our concerns, it’s up to Fifa to decide, it’s not up to us.
“Let us say we have our concerns.”
Pauw has a fully-fit 27-strong squad to select from tomorrow, with Aoife Mannion, Marissa Sheva and Deborah-Anne De La Harpe the new Irish-eligible trio set to earn their first caps.
“The plan is we have three players who really need to be tested. Two of them will start because we really need to bring a final decision on them. We don’t bring them in to have another look, we need to be clear now. The other one will play in the second half.”
McCabe was among those on the treatment list after Friday’s behind closed doors unpcapped game against Germany, the Arsenal star nursing a dead leg and wearing heavy strapping at training today, but she’s good to go against China.
