Latest news with #WomensChampionship
BBC News
21-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Blackburn Women players felt 'devalued' over club withdrawal
Blackburn Women defender Rachel Dugdale says players have been made to feel "devalued" by the "lack of communication" from the club over their decision to withdraw from the Women's Championship. Rovers confirmed on Tuesday it would drop out of the second tier next season because owners Venky are unwilling to meet the league's requirements on facilities, player welfare and claimed players were told of the news by manager Simon Parker just an hour before it was made public, before an email was sent via the club's HR Sport saw the email, which said the decision would have a "significant impact on the staffing and playing structure moving forward".Speaking a day after the news was confirmed, Dugdale told BBC Sport: "There is just a feeling of being devalued. "The amount of work we put in this year, despite having by far the lowest budget within the league, was all due to our sacrifice and dedication. "To not have that communication really made us feel devalued as players. It sends a really poor and strong message to younger female footballers that owners and people higher up don't have the will, or want, to do right by us."The 28-year-old added there had been "absolutely nothing" from the club since the announcement and players and staff were still unsure of their is the second successive year Dugdale has been part of a squad who have withdrawn from the league due to financial issues after Reading dropped to the fifth tier in 2024."There have been conversations among us, but no other communication from the club in terms of paying out the rest of our contracts or what it would mean," added the Northern Ireland international defender."They still don't know what tier we will be in. That financial security is the main thing on all of our minds at the moment. "We deserve to know and have extra support put in place for the staff and the players."BBC Sport has contacted Blackburn Rovers to offer them a response. 'I wasn't brave enough to speak out before' Dugdale said it was important clubs saw footballers as "people and not just players", which is why she was keen to speak out on the well as Reading last year, players from Wolves Women were left frustrated in April as the club had already decided not to apply to compete in the Women's Championship, despite the players believing they were chasing said she was "too worried to speak up about it" last year while at Reading, but does not want women's teams to continue to suffer lower down the pyramid."We got advice saying we shouldn't speak out, we should protect ourselves in terms of making sure we get those final salary payments, and make sure we don't look like a troublemaker for future clubs - all of that advice is really well-intentioned," she added."Last year, I took that advice. But ultimately, my priority at the moment is affecting and improving the women's game for the better. "I don't think enough noise was made last year at Reading. I wasn't brave enough to [speak out]. I think that's made it OK and acceptable for Blackburn to do it this year."I don't want any more players or staff to go through this uncertainty and difficult time that we are. I want the women's game to keep moving."Dugdale said she earned £15,000 a year at Blackburn - below the national minimum wage - and the majority of players are on an average of £9,000 a travels from the south of England to Blackburn on weekends to play matches and stays with a friend, none of which is 28-year-old added she was "fortunate" to be represented by the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), but the majority of Blackburn's players do not have that legal forward, she called for change."The problem at the moment is that you can only be a part of the PFA as a female player if you have played in the Women's Super League, like I did with Doncaster Belles," said Dugdale."In the men's game, it goes all the way down to the fourth tier. Now the Women's Championship is completely professional going into next season, I don't see any reason why they shouldn't be covered by the PFA. "A lot of my team-mates haven't got the support I have at the moment and it is invaluable. I think that needs to change."Dugdale has also called for a stricter review process of the 'fit and proper person test' - a background check carried out by the Football Association to ensure prospective owners and directors of clubs are suitable to buy and run them."What are the parameters for that? Is it a sweeping test that processes the men's team, and the women's team is just bolted on?" she added."I think it's about understanding that and improving it to make sure the intentions from the owners are right for the women's team."
Reuters
20-05-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Blackburn withdraw from Women's Championship
May 20 (Reuters) - Blackburn Rovers have withdrawn from the English Women's Championship ahead of the 2025-26 season following the club's decision not to meet the league's demands on contracts, facilities and staffing. Rovers, who finished 10th last season ahead of relegated Sheffield United, were given until Monday to decide on meeting the licence requirements necessary to retain their tier-two status. "The club are now in active discussions with The FA Women's National League board regarding the level the team can enter the Women's football pyramid next season, with a decision set to be confirmed over the coming weeks," Blackburn said in a statement on Tuesday. Despite playing all their home league fixtures at Ewood Park last season, Rovers struggled with low attendances which affected the match day commercial revenue and sponsorship deals.
BBC News
20-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Blackburn withdraw from Women's Championship
Blackburn Rovers have withdrawn from the Women's Championship next season because club owners are unwilling to meet the league's requirements on facilities, player welfare and an email sent to players by the club's HR department on Tuesday, seen by BBC Sport, they say Blackburn are in "ongoing discussions with the Football Association (FA) regarding the division we will be competing in" next and staff are still unsure of their future, whether they will remain semi-professional or if their contracts will be renewed. The deadline to decide if the club wanted to meet the licence requirements and retain their tier-two status was on Monday, 19 email went on to say: "Due to the minimum standards required at the tiers below the Women's Championship, there is a significant impact on the staffing and playing structure moving forward and so your role may be affected."The FA Board and WSL Football - the company overseeing the top two tiers of English women's football - are expected to meet later on Tuesday to discuss the next withdrawal could mean reinstating relegated Sheffield United, who sources say have held initial conversations around the possibility of their return to the Women's to follow.
South China Morning Post
20-05-2025
- Sport
- South China Morning Post
Hong Kong beat Kazakhstan to set up Asia Rugby Women's Championship decider with Japan
Head coach Lewis Wilson said Hong Kong were backing themselves to upset heavy favourites Japan in an Asia Rugby Women's Championship decider on Sunday, after the city team overcame dogged Kazakhstan 29-12 in steamy Fukuoka on Tuesday. Tanya Dhar, Kea Herewini and Shanna Forrest all crossed to give Hong Kong a 17-0 half-time advantage. Player-of-the-match Forrest said: 'Kazakhstan are a very physical team, but I think we executed well in certain areas and that helped us win the game.' The Kazakhs' two tries came from Oxana Shadrina and Svetlana Malezhina, either side of a score for Jess Eden, before Grace Hood wrapped up Hong Kong's success with two minutes remaining. Shanna Forrest scored Hong Kong's third try as they led 17-0 at half-time. Photo: Hong Kong China Rugby Wilson, who handed a late debut off the bench to lock Naomi Peeters, praised his side's 'physical and well-organised defence' throughout a performance that was 'testament to all the hard work we've done'. The weekend shoot-out with record six-times champions Japan, who are fine-tuning ahead of the August and September World Cup in England, will represent a significant step up for world No 17 team Hong Kong.
BBC News
13-05-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Blackburn might withdraw from Women's Championship
Blackburn Rovers might withdraw from the Women's Championship next season because the club's owners are unwilling to meet the league's requirements on facilities, player welfare and are in discussions with Women's Super League Football (WSL Football) - the company overseeing the top two tiers in England - on whether special considerations can be are taking place over the next week but it is understood they are in a perilous position, with players claiming they were told by a team-mate via WhatsApp that there is a "99% chance the owners will not be financially supporting the team next season".Defender Niamh Murphy, 22, said: "I have been a Blackburn Rovers player for three seasons and the only consistency there has been is the lack of financial support from the club."Whilst this season may not look successful to some, we have once again avoided relegation despite having the smallest budget."This is a huge success and a credit to the women's players and staff." She goes on to say the team "deserves far better" and have been "left in the dark" over their would be the second year a club withdraws from the league because of financial concerns after Reading dropped to the fifth tier in June clubs in the Women's Super League (WSL) and Women's Championship must meet licence criteria to create a professional environment. The criteria includes minimum standards on aspects such as elite facilities, the number of full-time staff, wellbeing support and contact hours with players.A compliance and development review is carried out at each club at the start of the women have a rich history of developing talent with England internationals Keira Walsh, Ella Toone and Georgia Stanway among those to have come through the club's academy. But the news about the women's team comes amid wider issues around the club in recent months, and financial Blackburn Rovers' latest accounts, published in March, showed they made a £3.3m profit, that was because of significant sales of players in the men's team such as Adam Wharton, who joined Crystal Palace for £18m. The club was spending 119% of its turnover on Rovers chief operating officer Suhail Pasha told BBC Radio Lancashire that every year the club was guaranteed to have a £20m shortfall that needed to be bridged by owners Venky' March several fan groups called on Pasha and two other leading officials to stay away from men's matches at Ewood Park. They were also calling on Venky's to sell the club as the men's team fell out of Championship play-off contention and lost manager John Eustace to women's team have played matches at Ewood Park this season in an attempt to grow the fanbase, and in turn matchday revenue, but average crowds remain under 1, repercussions of Blackburn's situation - should they withdraw from the second tier - are still unknown. However, one option could be to reinstate relegated Sheffield United to the Women's Championship. As is stands, it is understood the Blades have been given no indication of a change to their league status.
