Irish FA agree historic equal pay deal for men's and women's Northern Ireland national teams

Northern Ireland's men's and women's national teams will now be paid equally

The Irish FA have agreed equal pay agreements for the men's and women's teams.

The new deal comes in with immediate effect.

It means players in both will now be paid the same amount for participating in international matches for Northern Ireland.

Irish FA Director of Women’s Football Angela Platt said: “This agreement has been secured thanks to positive dialogue with PFA NI which has been ongoing for several months and the willingness of key players to continue to drive the conversations forward.

“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.”

The women’s national team reached their first ever major tournament at Euro 2022 and regularly sell out their home matches at Seaview.

“We have seen this special team capture the imaginations of fans across Northern Ireland and unearth a whole new set of fans,” Irish FA chief executive Patrick Nelson said.

“Our job as a governing body is to keep that momentum going and this agreement demonstrates our commitment to doing that.

“Commitments to equality only have meaning if they are acted upon. Thank you to Angela for leading us to this historic settlement.”

PFA NI say the new deal with be game changing for football in Northern Ireland.

“This is a huge step forward, not just for this current group of players who have earned this, but for future generations who can aspire to be on an equal playing field,” Helen McKenna from PFA NI said.

“We are immensely proud at the PFA NI to have helped deliver this agreement in partnership with the Irish FA."

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