Sarah G 3

Sarah Gregorius: "More women’s players than ever think of FIFPRO and unions as their collective representative"

News

Share this quote

Share
Sarah G 3

A veteran of three Women’s World Cups and two Olympic Football Tournaments, Sarah Gregorius made a century of international caps for New Zealand before hanging up her boots and joining FIFPRO as Director of Global Policy and Strategic for Women’s Football.

Wednesday 31 July marks Gregorius’ final day with FIFPRO, capping a successful tenure in which the New Zealander drove significant progress for the working conditions of players.

Gregorius’ time at the global players' union most notably saw FIFPRO, member unions and international players from 25 countries secure equal conditions and a guaranteed minimum of 30 percent of prize money for players at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, in what was the largest piece of collective action ever undertaken in women’s football.

Gregorius, whose passion for activism was harnessed through her time with the New Zealand Professional Footballers Association, was also part of the team who helped form and push for the first maternity and pregnancy standards in international football regulations from 2021. As she prepares to take on a new challenge in her career, Gregorius reflects on her time at FIFPRO.

FIFPRO: Sarah, you are departing FIFPRO after five productive years. What were the circumstances that brought you into the organisation?

Sarah Gregorius: I came to FIFPRO not long after my final game at the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France in 2019. I was approached by FIFPRO at the tournament, asking if I would consider taking up a role with them. I had experience in the union movement at national level, through my time with the New Zealand Professional Footballers Association, so I knew I had a passion for activism through the power of standing together alongside other players, but I had never dreamed of doing that at the international level.

Probably like most players transitioning from playing to their next career, it felt like a seismic shift; like a sort of pressure or nervousness you might feel when you know you need to step up for a big game. I felt a huge sense of responsibility. In my head, I was still a player, and I was doing this job on behalf of all players, the ones I counted as team-mates, as opponents, and all the players I had never personally encountered.

Sarah G NZ 2
Sarah Gregorius in action at the 2019 Women's World Cup

How did that feeling and your playing experience guide you?

My approach and my attitude in my work was really shaped by this feeling, and all my experiences in football, both lived and observed in others. In my career I regularly felt like things just weren’t good enough, that what we as players were provided with either didn’t make sense or just didn’t balance with what was expected of us. A notion exists, too, that we as players should just feel lucky for what we did have, that there needed to not just be compliance but also gratitude. It grated me as footballer, and it fuelled the fire as an advocate for players.

It was a huge honour to play for my country at three World Cups. From 2011 to 2019, you could see with each edition the strides the game was taking, not just at those major tournaments, but also between World Cups, with the growth of the international and professional game and the opportunities that were growing with it. But I still thought to myself, 'this should be so much better'. Personally, I wanted to be involved in change that could create a new normal for the players that would come after me – and my team-mates and opponents that were still in the game.

Sarah G 2

Being a player and having that network must have been a big help, considering the connection to those still playing and the understanding of the main issues in women’s football…

It certainly was! One of my early tasks at FIFPRO was to connect with players, use those relationships that I had in order to bring the women’s football playing-community closer to FIFPRO to help get the Global Player Council off the ground. And I found that it was not hard to onboard them onto the mission.

There was a clear hunger and desire for players to be part of collective conversations and actions to improve the industry – from conditions to pay equity to standing up to abusive behaviours and circumstances. And not just for themselves, for all players across the globe. Back then, I was running on the basis of potential and possibility, telling players that we can really make a difference. Then came the tough (but fun) part: proving to them that we could.

Sarah G NZ 1
Sarah Gregorius in action for New Zealand

Reflecting on the achievements and the work around the 2023 Women’s World Cup, how important was that as a demonstration of possibility towards players, unions and the industry?

This was an idea we had worked on since I arrived at FIFPRO, knowing first-hand the huge gap in conditions and prize money between the men’s and women’s tournaments. So, we laid out our plan and strategy, not just for equality in conditions and prize money, but for a guaranteed minimum 30 percent portion of that prize money to be ring-fenced for all players. We crafted a clear message we hoped would unite the players and the unions, and found there was, in fact, a groundswell of support for it. When we asked players to sign the campaign letter, we had pages and pages of signatures from 25 national teams, with some of the biggest names in women’s football on there.

Therefore, in many ways, we had already won no matter what the response would be from FIFA. That kind of organising for international collective action by players had never been done before by FIFPRO, or anyone else on a global level in sport. FIFA announced that they would equalise the conditions between the men’s and the women’s World Cups, would guarantee a portion of prize money went to all participating players, and stated an ambition towards equal prize money for the 2026 and 2027 World Cups. It was a hugely important proof-point for players, unions and of course FIFPRO on the power of the global collective and the positive change it can bring about.

Looking back, are there any other moments that come to mind today?

There are so many other moments, big and small, that I am so proud to have been involved with at FIFPRO – from our tailored reporting into employment conditions, to the introduction of maternity and pregnancy regulations and guidance, to our work on the women’s international match calendar and player workload, and everything in between.

But I am also so pleased with the more subtle and nuanced changes that have occurred. Today, more women’s players than ever think of FIFPRO and their unions as their collective representative. They are aware we are a source of support, solidarity and energy, working with them and for them in football governance for their rights and protections. Through consistent effort with our unions, we are in the hearts of minds of the players. We are their international voice.

ROGE 3
Players at the Raising Our Game Europe summit

What does the future hold for you?

I am staying in women’s football because it’s what I am passionate about, what I love. I will always be a player – no matter what my knees are telling me! – and I will always hold onto those values instilled in me as a player and advocate in my next role and the roles to come, if I am lucky enough to stay working in this great sport throughout my career.

It’s easy to say women’s football is in the best shape it’s ever been, but this is partly down to how poorly the sport and the players have been treated for so much of its past. The only way was up, but this growth has been fragmented and sporadic. And it will continue to be, if we let ourselves get carried away by the hype and don’t continue to properly focus on what the healthiest and most sustainable path forward is for our game, based on what women’s football truly needs and with the players at the very heart of this.

Sarah G 11

And for FIFPRO?

As I leave FIFPRO and hand over the privilege and responsibility of my role, of course it’s a moment of reflection but also excitement to see where the movement goes next for FIFPRO and women’s football more broadly. There are so many opportunities to innovate and drive change on behalf of – and with – the players to improve their careers and position in the industry. It’s a bit like clay, ready to be shaped and moulded, existing structures to be re-formed and re-created, and I can’t wait to be both a cheerleader and an ally of this work.