Welsh FA agrees landmark equal pay deal which will see the women’s national team get same salary as the men

 

Wednesday, January 18, 2023 – The Football Association of Wales (FAW) has announced a record equal pay deal for the men and women national teams.

For the first time ever, Welsh men’s and women’s senior national players will be paid the same for representing their country, with the landmark deal lasting until 2027.

Rob Page’s men’s side unanimously agreed to take a 25 percent pay cut to allow a 25 per cent rise for the women, to help allow the move to happen.

A joint statement from the men’s and women’s team said: ‘Together Stronger has been the mantra across the Cymru (Wales) national teams for us all, both on and off the pitch as we look to put Wales on the world stage.

‘We hope that this will allow future generations of boys and girls to see that there is equality across Welsh international football, which is important for society as a whole.

‘With this agreement in place, we will now look ahead to the Euro 2024 and 2025 qualifying campaigns, as we aim to see further success across both our senior teams in the near future.’

Wales joins England, the USA, Australia, Brazil, Norway, and New Zealand in paying men and women the same fee for international matches.

The announcement comes after more than a year of negotiations, with FAW chief executive Noel Mooney’s talks with Wales women’s captain Sophie Ingle, record cap-holder Jess Fishlock and record scorer Helen Ward now resulting in official parity.

Wales women’s boss Gemma Grainger told the BBC: ‘I am really happy about the equal pay, it is about equality. We want our players to embody Together Stronger, the collaboration with the men’s team is something we want to continue.

‘Hopefully, that collaboration will continue to grow. Equality and making sure what we have here is equal is so important to us. The women’s game is growing and will continue to grow.’

Mooney added: ‘The FAW is a modern, progressive movement that seeks to improve each day. This is another step towards becoming one of the world’s great sports organisations and we thank both the men’s and women’s squads for their brilliant co-operation in getting this agreed.’