12-Year-Old Girl Furious At ‘Sexist’ NSW Football Rule

A 12-year-old girl is fighting against a ‘sexist’ rule in NSW football after her all-female team was not permitted to play in the state championships.

Tasman Glover said that soccer is biased towards boys, adding that girls can only compete every second year in a prestigious state tournament while boys’ teams get a chance every year.

Tasman, who plays for Belrose-Terrey Hills Raiders Soccer Club, wrote to the Manly Daily to vent her frustration about what she said was ­gender inequality in kids’ football.

Photo: Daily Telegraph/Adam Yip

She said that it was “completely sexist” that her under-13 all-girl team was not entitled to play in Football NSW’s Puma Champion of Champions competition next month even after they won the Manly Warringah Football Association’s Major Premiership.

She wrote: “Why are people encouraging girls to play soccer when there’s not a level playing field for them or any incentive to excel?”

Speaking to the Manly Daily, Tasman said she was “surprised and upset” to learn her team could not move on to the next level. “After becoming the major premiers of the MWFA under-13 ones, we were very excited and proud, and we thought our team would be playing in the Champions of Champions tournament,” she said.

“It seems sexist to me and not fair to all girls,” she added.

Photo: Daily Telegraph/Adam Yip

Tasman, who is one of all-girl triplets, said that sexism in sport happens “quite a lot”.

“It even happens sometimes at school,” she said. “Some people think soccer is a boys’ sport where I know it is both a girls’ and a boys’ sport. I just want everything equal for boys and girls.”

Her father Gary Glover, the Raiders club president, agrees, saying: “Australia’s Matildas are world beaters in the game but Football NSW appears to be living in its sexist past.”

“Five to 10 years ago there was perhaps not enough teams in NSW of quality at those ages so every two years was valid,” he explained. “But now grassroots soccer for girls is massive.”

Photo: Daily Telegraph/Adam Yip

Mr Mason said Manly Warringah had more than 4700 registered female players, which highlighted the strength of female football in the area. He suggested that “it might be time to revisit old regulations and give the girls a fairer go”.

Meanwhile, Manly Warringah Football Association CEO Dave Mason has vowed to work with Football NSW so that competition structures will give enough opportunities for young female players.

Source: Dailytelegraph.com.au