By Andrew Warshaw
March 27 – FIFA’s decision to play the 2015 Women’s World Cup in Canada on artificial turf has prompted an unexpected backlash.
A petition organised by workplace rights website Coworker.org has already been signed by almost 1,000 supporters from over a dozen countries and backed by a string of players including US internationals Abby Wambach and Alex Morgan and Sweden’s Lotta Schelin and Caroline Seger.
The petition is calling on FIFA to reverse the ruling, the first time that natural grass playing surfaces will not used in the World Cup. Many players have turned to social media sites to express their concerns that the artificial turf will lead to more injuries.
“For these players, the World Cup is their workplace,” said Jess Kutch, Coworker.org’s co-founder and campaigns director. “It’s not just players who are angry soccer fans from around the world have signed on to this campaign, and many are spreading the word on social media.”
Wambach believes FIFA still has time to reverse the decision. “There’s enough time from now until then to sort this out, to talk with FIFA, to get the right people in charge so that this doesn’t happen,” she said.
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