Women’s soccer World Cup in Canada faces human rights showdown over artificial turf

[theHandpuppet]

The Toronto Star
Women’s soccer World Cup in Canada faces human rights showdown over artificial turf
Believing men would never be told to play a World Cup game on artificial turf, the world’s greatest female soccer players wonder why Canada is asking them to.
By: Kevin McGran Sports Reporter,
Published on Tue Aug 05 2014

Believing men would never be asked to play a World Cup game on artificial turf, many of the world’s greatest female soccer players are wondering why Canada is asking them to.

Now the likes of Germany’s Nadine Angerer, the 2013 FIFA player of the year, and American Abby Wambach, the 2012 player of the year, are heading towards a human rights showdown with the Canadian Soccer Association over plans to run next summer’s women’s World Cup on an artificial surface instead of natural grass.

An international team of lawyers sent a letter on behalf of 40 women athletes, including Angerer and Wambach, to the Canadian Soccer Association and the Federation Internationale de Football Association urging the tournament be played on natural grass instead of an artificial field so as to avoid gender discrimination lawsuits and/or challenges under Canadian human rights codes and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms...

...“We need to make clear that it is not only the wrong thing to do to put a first-class tournament on a second-class surface, but it’s also illegal,” said litigator Hampton Dellinger of the U.S. law firm Boies, Schiller and Flexner. “To treat the women who participate in a World Cup differently than the men have been and will be treated is not right is prohibited under Canadian law.”....

MORE at http://www.thestar.com/sports/soccer/2014/08/05/womens_soccer_world_cup_in_canada_faces_human_rights_showdown_over_artificial_turf.html

[Renew Deal]

1. One of the stadiums used for the 1994 World Cup in the US had turf

I think it was Detroit.

[theHandpuppet]

3. Attitudes towards astroturf have greatly changed over the past 20 years

Especially since researchers have had the time to document how the artificial surface contributes to athletes' injuries. I don't blame these women one bit for protesting.

[DetlefK]

2. Playing on turf really is different.

1. On grass the ball slides, on turf it bounces.
2. Turf is harder, so you have less grip.
3. Turf is rougher, so if somebody falls (as it happens about once a minute in soccer) that will result in a nice abrasion with dirt rubbed into it.


Canada wants to host the 2026 men's World Cup but shys away from the costs to put a decent grass-surface in a stadium?