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RHIAN'S SOCCER AND MEDIA REPORTS

 

NATIONAL WOMEN'S TEAM ACCEPTS COMPENSATION PACKAGE

(From CSA Press release)    10th June 2011 

 

The Canadian Soccer Association announced today that they and Canada’s Women’s National soccer team have entered into an agreement for the years 2011 and 2012. This agreement addresses the current compensation issues between the Canadian Soccer Association and Canada’s Women’s National Team.

“The Canadian Soccer Association is pleased that we have reached a resolution (for 2011 and 2012) and we look forward to supporting the Women’s National Team at the FIFA Women’s World Cup Germany 2011™ as well as the 2012 CONCACAF Women’s Olympic Qualification Tournament in Vancouver and the 2012 London Olympic Games,” stated Canadian Soccer Association General Secretary, Peter Montopoli.
 

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed.

 

The 25 members of the women's team had retained legal counsel and threatened to file a suit for binding arbitration with the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada.

 

The women contended that the Canadian men's team had a fixed-term arrangement with the CSA under which they were paid on a per-game basis. The women said they wanted a similar deal, instead of receiving what they called ad-hoc payments from the CSA.

 

The announcement of the payment deal comes a day after the CSA revealed it reached an agreement with Carolina Morace, retaining the coach's services through the 2012 London Olympics.

 

 

 

Carolina Morace has agreed to remain in her role as Head Coach of Canada’s Women’s National Team through to the 2012 London Olympic Games. Morace will also continue in her role as the Head Coach of the Women’s U-20 National Team.

 

Rhian's Toronto Star interview     11th June 2011

by Daniel Girard  Sports Reporter

 

 

Another day, another deal.

Less than 24 hours after announcing it has made peace with the head coach of the women’s national team, the Canadian Soccer Association has a two-year deal with the side’s players on a long-standing dispute over pay.

 

“To have this out of the way right before the World Cup is great,” veteran midfielder Rhian Wilkinson said Friday from the team’s training camp near Rome, where they are preparing for the tournament that begins June 26 in Germany.

 

All parties insisted they were unable to provide details of the deal.

But Toronto lawyer James Bunting, who Wilkinson labelled “a white knight” for taking the case on for free so the women could focus their attention “back to the field,” said the deal was reached without filing for arbitration.

 

Earlier this year, the women threatened to take their pay battle to the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada. They claimed the CSA was stonewalling in providing details on how the men’s national team is paid.

 

The women, ranked No. 6 in the world, said they were not necessarily seeking the same pay as the 76th-ranked men, but wanted equality in the formula used to derive the salary for playing for their country.

“We feel now, with the CSA, we’ve put something in place that will benefit future generations of Canadian players,” said Wilkinson, 29, who has appeared in 99 matches for the women’s national team.

 

Resolution of the pay dispute comes a day after the CSA settled a nasty public spat with head coach Carolina Morace. The former Italian international superstar, who was hired just 28 months ago and has taken the team to its highest-ever world ranking, had threatened back in February to quit after the World Cup over differences in philosophy with the CSA.

 

Morace’s announcement prompted team members, who laud the playing style and culture she has brought to the side, to briefly threaten a boycott of games unless the CSA kept their coach happy. They relented once talks between the CSA and Morace resumed.

 

While the exact details were never spelled out, Morace is believed to have wanted more latitude in deciding how the team’s budget is spent, whether it was on playing friendly matches or holding more training camps.

Wilkinson called it “really exciting” to have Morace signed through at least the 2012 London Olympics and willing to discuss a contract extension.

Canada will host the next Women’s World Cup, in 2015.