Northern Ireland approve equal pay for men and women teams
Northern Ireland has joined England, Republic of Ireland, Wales and Scotland in agreeing an equal pay deal for their men’s and women’s national teams in a major move to boost the women’s game after they were allowed to be registered as professionals in February
Northern Ireland players featuring in international matches for the senior women’s and men’s teams with immediate effect will get equal pay.
The new deal which follows similar arrangements for the other home nations comes after talks with PFA NI, the Professional Footballers Association in Northern Ireland, and is another significant step for the women’s game in Northern Ireland.
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In January 2022, the Irish FA introduced a full-time set-up for the women’s senior team after they qualified for Euro 2022, while in February this year regulations were changed to allow women to register as professional players in Northern Ireland for the first time.
The Irish FA director of women’s football Angela Platt said: “Equality is the cornerstone of everything we do at the Irish FA. This is a transformative moment for football in this country and demonstrates that we are continuing to invest in the women’s and girls’ game.”
Euro 2022 was the first major tournament for Northern Ireland’s women, and IFA chief executive Patrick Nelson said they deserve to be on an equal footing with the senior men’s squad.
Northern Ireland passed regulations allowing women to be registered as professional footballers in February
“We have seen this special team capture the imaginations of fans across Northern Ireland and unearth a whole new set of fans,” Nelson said.
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“Our job as a governing body is to keep that momentum going and this agreement demonstrates our dedication to doing that.
The Football Association has paid England women the same appearance money as their male counterparts since January 2020. The Republic of Ireland agreed a similar deal in 2021, while Wales announced a move to equal pay in January this year.