Western Springs had their scheduled fixture postponed by Northern Regional Football. Photo / Photosport
Western Springs had their scheduled fixture postponed by Northern Regional Football. Photo / Photosport
Rival football clubs are unhappy Western Springs have been allowed to postpone a women’s premier team’s fixture after players had vowed to walk out over concerns of gender inequality at the club.
The Herald understands governing body Northern Region Football (NRF) received pushback from several clubs who wanted Springs’ matchagainst Auckland United to go ahead. The game was scheduled to be played last night following a week-long standoff between players and the club, with both parties agreeing to a mediation session on May 30.
The decision to postpone was made by NRF amid concerns that going ahead with the game would affect the integrity of the league.
But some opposition clubs are understood to have complained to NRF, saying the decision may affect who will finish in the competition’s top-four spots and secure qualification for the National League. Some teams also felt it would be fairer to postpone the entire round, rather than just one fixture.
NRF chief executive Laura Menzies told the Herald the decision to postpone the game was based on player welfare.
“We want to make sure that everybody feels safe and football is inclusive,” she said. “We were concerned about the welfare of the players – it’s been a pretty stressful week for them.
“They’re not used to necessarily being on the front page of the paper, either. A lot of media attention, a lot of conversations, a lot in that relationship is hard on players, particularly when they’ve got a lot of teenagers in that team, and their parents.
“So we wanted to give them a week to regroup to try and work some things through as a team. [It’s] just one of those occasions where something just felt like it was bigger than football and our regulations do allow for that.”
Western Springs did not respond to requests for comment, and New Zealand Football declined to comment.
West Coast Rangers director of football Andrew Duff told the Herald his club - one of Springs’ NRF rivals - were “saddened” to hear of the issues of inequality and lack of support felt by the Western Springs players.
“We should be focusing on the Women’s World Cup 2023 and celebrating women in sport,” Duff said. “West Coast Rangers is 100 per cent committed to both our top women and our top men’s teams, and to treat them equally.
“Equality is important to our club. Having premier men’s and women’s teams provides the aspirational model for players that want to go further, and role models for all our members.”
Eastern Suburbs and West Coast Rangers hold the second and third spots respectively on the Lotto NRFL table. Photo / JC Media
‘Global movement’
Western Springs has invited club members to show support for the women’s game by wearing a purple wristband at this weekend’s fixtures.
An email was sent to club members on Thursday night saying that wearing the wristband would “support positive change, fair treatment and equality” in the sport.
“This is a global movement encouraging all involved in football to work for positive change for everyone. It expresses our passion for this issue and our intention to unite as a community sports club to create a great player environment for all our members.”
The Herald understands about 500 bands have been sent out to club members involved across many grades.
Polly Fryer, one of the campaign organisers and a mother of two girls who play at the Springs, said: “This is an opportunity for the membership to express their passion for a pathway to gender equality and encourage the football community and the club to unify on this issue.
“Other calls to tape over logos etc didn’t feel to me to be in the spirit of unity that we are trying to create as we move together as a community on this issue.”
Players in the premier women’s team had asked the club executive for the logo to be redesigned, as it has a phallic appearance.
The Western Springs website shows there have been changes to the make-up of the club’s leadership and governance committees since the Herald first revealed the dispute with the women’s team last weekend. The website names eight people on the club’s executive committee, of whom two are women.
