Footballer Tasman Glover takes fight against ‘sexist’ Football NSW rule
A YEAR 7 soccer player from Sydney’s northern beaches is fighting an ‘outdated’ rule which stops her winning team from competing in a NSW championship tournament.
Manly
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A 12-year-old Frenchs Forest girl says soccer is biased towards boys because her all-female team cannot play in the state championships.
Footballer Tasman Glover is furious that girls can only compete every second year in a prestigious state tournament while boys’ teams get a chance every year.
The Year 7 student wrote to the Manly Daily to express her frustration about what she said was gender inequality in kids’ football.
Tasman, who plays for Belrose-Terrey Hills Raiders Soccer Club, said it was “completely sexist” that her under-13 all-girl team — who won the Manly Warringah Football Association’s Major Premiership — was not entitled to play in Football NSW’s Puma Champion of Champions competition next month.
Her father Gary Glover, the Raiders club president, said: “Australia’s Matildas are world beaters in the game but Football NSW appears to be living in its sexist past.”
Leading football authorities have now recognised the issue. Manly Warringah Football Association CEO Dave Mason vowed to work with Football NSW so competition structures allow adequate opportunities for young female players.
A spokesman for Football NSW said it was “working ongoingly to grow and accommodate female-only competitions in all age grades for future seasons”.
In her letter, Tasman said: “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, the student said she was “surprised and upset” to learn her team could not take their success 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.
“I was very surprised and upset to find out that girls only get to play every second year while the boys get to play every single year.
“It seems sexist to me and not fair to all girls.”
Tasman, who is one of all-girl triplets, said the sexism in sport she had encountered happened “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.”
Mr Glover, who is also the coach of Tasman’s team and an over-35s player, said the bias was outdated.
“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 said.
“But now grassroots soccer for girls is massive.”
Mr Glover said he had challenged his daughters — two play in the under-13 ones and one in under-13 fours — and asked them if they were happy about the ruling.
“Of course they said no and felt the situation was very sexist and unfair. I said to them, ‘What are you going to do about it?’ and here we are today,” he said.
Mr Mason said Manly Warringah had more than 4700 registered female players, which highlighted the strength of female football in the area.
“We are aware there is currently a gap for girls’ under-13 and under-15 teams in the Football NSW Champion of Champion competitions due to the fact the vast number of the other local associations in NSW only carry under-12, under-14 and under-16 competitions for girls,” he said.
Mr Glover said “it might be time to revisit old regulations and give the girls a fairer go”.
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