England defender Lucy Bronze says it's a "shame" female athletes have to push for tangible change in sport amid an ongoing dispute about the Lionesses' Women's World Cup bonuses.
Earlier this week, it was reported that many of Sarina Wiegman's squad had been left frustrated with the FA after talks regarding performance-related bonuses had broken down. The decision comes after FIFA announced guaranteed compensation for players last month, with individuals at the tournament set to earn at least $30,000 (£24,000), and players from the winning team each receiving $270,000 (£213,000).
According to Sky Sports, further conversations between the Lionesses and the FA reached a dead-end last week and players remain unhappy with the situation. The FA remain firm in its stance that players are receiving a 300 per cent pay increase compared to the last World Cup, but a number of players believe that the association should still be distributing direct bonuses.
"I think a lot of these issues happen in women’s football," Bronze told Sky Sports when asked about the situation on Sunday. You see it not just from our team but from many teams where players or associations or teams are having to fight to make changes in the game. We’re pushing the game on.
"We’re trying to hit new levels and that’s what we want to do as players both on the pitch and off the pitch. It’s a shame that women in sport in general have to do that but I think it’s a role that many athletes and many women take on in society and in sport."
Players are now considering their options ahead of the showpiece event, though there are reportedly no plans to strike or engage in any action that might disrupt England's participation in the tournament. However, boycotting media duties has been floated as an option to call attention to their plight.
The Lionesses arrived in Australia on Friday and will spend the next week at a training camp on the Sunshine Coast before travelling to Brisbane ahead of their tournament opener with Haiti on July 22. The Lionesses will also face Denmark on July 28, Sydney) and China PR (August 1, Adelaide).
