Australia captain Sam Kerr mentioned on Monday she won’t put on a “OneLove” rainbow armband on the ladies’s World Cup this month as a result of it was not price “putting everything at risk”.
FIFA unveiled eight completely different armbands final week highlighting social causes that sides can put on on the match, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, which kicks off on July 20.
A “OneLove” band in rainbow colors to help LGBTQ rights was not amongst them.
“We kind of expected it, the men’s World Cup, the women’s World Cup … being honest I didn’t expect them to change it (the rule),” Kerr, a long-time advocate of LGBTQ rights, mentioned as Australia introduced its 23-strong squad.
Captains from a number of European international locations, together with England and Germany, needed to put on it on the males’s World Cup final 12 months in a symbolic protest in opposition to legal guidelines in Qatar, the place homosexuality is illegitimate.
However, they deserted the concept after being threatened with sporting sanctions — together with being proven a yellow card — simply days earlier than the match kicked off.
“Obviously we would love to wear it — like most of the teams in the whole world, everyone has voiced that they would love to wear it,” Kerr mentioned.
“But I think you saw with the men’s World Cup, (England captain) Harry Kane for example, first game if he had worn it, yellow card, if he’d got a yellow card again, he would’ve been sent off.
“So for me it’s not worth the risk of putting the team at risk, of putting the tournament at risk, putting everything at risk. There will be multiple opportunities where I get to use my voice for things.
“We have to abide by the rules that we’re given really,” she mentioned.
Players can as a substitute put on an amended model that’s much like “OneLove”, with the phrases “Unite for Inclusion” alongside a coronary heart form in rainbow colors.
Other causes highlighted embody gender equality, ending violence in opposition to ladies, starvation and the rights of indigenous individuals.
Captains will be capable to put on a unique armband for every match similar to the trigger being promoted or help one trigger for the complete match.
