England players could boycott media duties amid World Cup bonus dispute

07 July 2023 , 08:42

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England defender and stand-in skipper Millie Bright speaks to the media before flying out to the World Cuop

England stars could result to boycotting media duties at the upcoming Women’s World Cup in response to FA bonuses not being offered the squad.

Earlier this week, it was reported that many in the Lionesses squad were left frustrated after talks regarding performance-related bonuses had broken down. The decision comes after FIFA announced guaranteed compensation for players last month, with individuals at the tournament set to earn at least $30,000 (£24,000), and players from the winning team each receiving $270,000 (£213,000).

And Sky Sports has now reported that while the European champions are on their way to Australia and New Zealand for the tournament, further conversations have reached dead-ends and players remain unhappy with the situation.

The FA remain firm in their stance that players are receiving a 300% pay increase compared to the last World Cup, but a number of players believe that bonuses are their undisputed prerogative.

Players are now considering their options ahead of the showpiece event, though reports state there are no plans for strike or action that might disrupt their participation in the tournament.

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However, boycotting media duties has been floated as an option to call attention to their plight. Defender Millie Bright has been especially vocal in emphasising the need to view players beyond their actions on the pitch.

The 29-year-old recently called out the scheduling within the women's game and the subsequent danger posed to players' physical and mental health without adequate support. Women's football has faced an unprecedented slew of serious injuries to star players this year, including Euro 2022 Golden Boot winner and player of the tournament Beth Mead.

Beth Mead is one of a number of Lionesses missing the tournament through injury

“It’s tough. Playing back-to-back tournaments, it’s hard, when you’re playing every single minute for your clubs," said Bright, who is returning from her own injury suffered earlier this year during Chelsea's Champions League run.

“That’s the demands of the game now, especially with how competitive it is getting. The quality has gone through the roof and the games are getting harder to win, especially when you’re competing for every trophy.

“There’s work to be done in terms of scheduling, making sure we can compete in every competition and do back-to-back tournaments, but also we are not robots, we need time to recover. For me, I think the scheduling of everything needs to be looked at so we can keep the quality at the highest it can possibly be.”

The dispute arrives at a time when the World Cup preparations of a number of national teams have been thrust into chaos. Canada Women have been embroiled in an ongoing dispute with Canada Soccer over controversial budget cuts, with threats of legal action and strikes used by both sides.

The last year has seen the Spanish national team's preparations plunged into disarray after 15 stars refused to play until a change in management occurred.

Earlier this month, South Africa national players boycotted their send-off match against neighbours Botswana at the Tsakane Stadium, while Jamaican players, including Manchester City star Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw, have been to forced to rely on funds raised via GoFundMe to subsidize their World Cup campaign.

Megan Feringa