New Zealand Police

• The women’s Netball World Cup, which also took place in Australia that year, did not feature in its preparations because it was deemed “low risk”.
• By the time the FIFA Women’s World Cup was held in France in 2019, however, the football governing body was not taking any chances.
• Many of these competitions lack key integrity protections like bet monitoring and athlete education, making them vulnerable targets for match-fixers.

Pay disputes in women’s football

• For this year’s World Cup, several members of the Nigerian women’s team, the Super Falcons, were contemplating a boycott of their first match due to a pay dispute.
• Nigeria’s opponent in its opening game, Canada, was also involved in a pay dispute with its federation, as were Jamaica and South Africa.

Why collective bargaining agreements are key

• It took another four years before the Professional Footballers Australia, the players’ union, and Football Australia were able to sign a new collective bargaining agreement, which would guarantee an equal split of all commercial revenue between the men’s and women’s national teams.
• The union believes this won’t address the inequity created by FIFA, which it could right with a stroke of the pen.
• They have particularly highlighted the need for union representation and collective bargaining agreements that guarantee minimum standards and pay.
• If these recommendations are implemented internationally, it will go a long way to supporting the women’s game and strengthening integrity.