WOMEN in SPORT

S P O R T

W O M E N

MILLIE BRIGHT,

MARY EARPS,

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We’re in a loft studio in Manchester prepping for our shoot when England goalkeeper Mary Earps is alerted to an incoming call on her personal phone. It’s just after 9.30am and we can tell it’s important by the way she rushes off in the middle of hair and make-up to take the call. (“It’s coach,” she shouts across the changing room to her agent shortly after.) Earps is clearly happy when she reappears, but – ever the professional – doesn’t let on as to what the call was about. I’m on my way back to London later that afternoon when I see that the “good news” she hinted at is revealed to be not just the official call-up to the Women’s World Cup England squad I suspected, but an invitation to be Vice-Captain under newly-appointed Captain Millie Bright. Two weeks later and – following the official announcements of both roles – we’re shooting Bright in a sports hall in south London, which means both players are free to chat openly and excitedly about their new roles, and reveal how much it means to be able to represent their country. “It’s the biggest honour,” Bright beams, as her agent snaps photos she later tells me are to send to her mum. “But representing your country and being Captain is an even bigger honour, so I’m really grateful.”

"Winning is NEVER easy. If it was, everyone would do it"

That said, she was still surprised by the amount of media attention the announcements received. “It was made more of a big deal than we were expecting,” Bright says, referring, in part, to the fact that Leah Williamson – who captained the team to victory at the Women’s Euros last summer – is unable to compete following a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament. “With us, it’s a group thing – we stepped up at that moment and were ready for the challenge.” While the media coverage might have come as a surprise to the players, the fact that they’re hot property makes perfect sense to the rest of us: when a version of this squad took home the cup at the Euros last year, it was the first England team – men’s or women’s – to win a tournament in 56 years. Now, with just weeks to go until the Women’s World Cup kicks off, the excitement – and pressure – is mounting for them to do it all again. “[The attention has] been more than I could possibly have imagined,” Earps admits. “There are parts that I really enjoy and parts that are tough – you’re constantly trying to keep a balance and make sure you’re doing the right thing. But I always remind myself that a couple of years ago I would’ve bitten someone’s arm off to be in this kind of demand. It feels weird to even say ‘demand’,” she laughs. However, it’s not all been positive. Just last year, the women’s team received a barrage of sexist abuse under a single online ad by a sponsor. Yet both players are hopeful that perceptions are changing and, with time, further respect for female athletes will come. “There are still a lot of people who don’t think I’m good at what I do,” Earps says, “and that’s totally fine; I’m never going to be everybody’s cup of tea.”

Footballers Millie Bright and Mary Earps changed the face of the game as England’s Euro-winning team last year – and they’re only just getting started. Here, the team’s Captain and Vice-Captain – guest editors of our Women in Sport special – chat fair wages, equal opportunities, and their hopes for lifting the trophy at this summer’s Women’s World Cup with Ally Head

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LONG READ | 15 Mins

Director and photographer: Pip Bourdillon

S P O R T

W O M E N

MILLIE BRIGHT,

MARY EARPS,

VICE-CAPTAIN

CAPTAIN

ootballers Millie Bright and Mary Earps changed the face of the game as England’s Euro-winning team last year – and they’re only just getting started. Here, the team’s Captain and Vice-Captain – guest editors of our Women in Sport special – chat fair wages, equal opportunities, and their hopes for lifting the trophy at this summer’s Women’s World Cup with Ally Head

s Earps sees it, both the games and the cultures surrounding them are totally different, with each having its own pitfalls and plus points. “I don’t think it’s ever going to be the same as the men’s, but the beauty of the women’s game is that it hopefully won’t suffer the same downfalls,” she explains. Female footballers, for example, tend to get into the sport later than men, allowing women footballers to finish their education before beginning their sporting careers - something Earps hopes will always be the case: “Education is so important,” she stresses. What often gets lost in translation is the argument that female players are demanding equal pay to men. “That’s not what we’re saying at all,” Earps says. “Everyone can see that the wages in men’s football are off the scale. We just want to be compensated fairly.” Earps has been candid about this subject before, after being dropped from the England women’s squad back in 2021. Her club at the time, Manchester United, offered her a new contract that didn’t cover her mortgage payments. It “felt like a step back,” she says. “It’s not all sunshine and rainbows - I started playing for Doncaster when I was in school, and we got paid £25 a game, for 14 games a year. It’s not a lot of money and it certainly wasn’t a professional wage.” Bright maintains that while there are good wages out there for female footballers, it’s about making sure every female footballer is offered that. “It's making sure that the lower clubs are able to financially provide for their players and offer adequate facilities,” she asserts. “It's more than just money. The whole system needs to be at the same rate - the bottom of the league needs to operate in the same way as the top of the league.”

I’m NEVER going to be everybody's cup of tea."

o, how do they deal with the pressure? It’s a huge part of the job, admits Bright. But, she says, “I’m used to being under pressure - it’s the way that you deal with that pressure and what you do with it that matters. As soon as we won the Euros, we wanted more. You just have to give more to win more.” Indeed, every single tournament is different and requires a levelled-up skillset. “What you did one year is never going to be enough the next year," she says. “That’s just the beauty of the game.” Both players agree their careers have changed for the better since last summer, though. “I’ve spent a lot of my career being quite heavily criticised,” Earps admits. “But winning at the Euros, and the way I played at the Euros, means people look at me differently now.” While Earps is quick-witted and confident, Bright is calm and authoritative - a combination I’m certain will make them great at leading their teammates into what will arguably be one of the most high-pressure tournaments of our lifetimes. How does it feel to be a part of the team that has not only made history, but inspired a generation? “It’s what I play for,” Bright says with a smile. “I hope we’ve inspired young girls and boys. It indicates a shift in society and a shift in the way people think. We won, but we did so much more.”

"I hope we’ve INSPIRED young girls & boys. It indicates a SHIFT in society & a shift in the way people think. We won, but we did so much MORE."

hey certainly did: attendance numbers at women's football matches have been smashing records ever since their Euros success, with one stat revealing the number of Women's Super League spectators has increased by 200% since the winning match. And it’s not just about what’s happening inside the stadium: a nationwide campaign in which the Lionesses petitioned for equal opportunity in sport led directly to a change in the national curriculum, too, ensuring that all genders are offered the same sporting opportunities in schools. Earps, meanwhile, has single-handedly made goalkeeping cool – something, she laughs, she could “chat about for hours.” Which brings us to the all-important question. Following a spate of injuries among that Euro-winning line-up, several of its strongest players will not be joining the team at the Women’s World Cup this summer - so do they think they still stand a good chance of winning? “Winning is never easy,” Bright replies. “If it was, everyone would do it. But we’re confident in our team and ready to face anything.” Spoken like a true Lioness.

e’re in a loft studio in Manchester prepping for our shoot when England goalkeeper Mary Earps is alerted to an incoming call on her personal phone. It’s just after 9.30am and we can tell it’s important by the way she rushes off in the middle of hair and make-up to take the call. (“It’s coach,” she shouts across the changing room to her agent shortly after.) Earps is clearly happy when she reappears, but – ever the professional – doesn’t let on as to what the call was about. I’m on my way back to London later that afternoon when I see that the “good news” she hinted at is revealed to be not just the official call-up to the Women’s World Cup England squad I suspected, but an invitation to be Vice-captain under newly appointed Captain Millie Bright. Two weeks later and – following the official announcements of both roles – we’re shooting Bright in a sports hall in south London, which means both players are free to chat openly and excitedly about their new roles, and reveal how much it means to be able to represent their country. “It’s the biggest honour,” Bright beams, as her agent snaps photos she later tells me are to send to her mum. “But representing your country and being Captain is an even bigger honour, so I’m really grateful.”

hat said, she was still surprised by the amount of media attention the announcements received. “It was made more of a big deal than we were expecting,” Bright says, referring, in part, to the fact that Leah Williamson – who captained the team to victory at the Women’s Euros last summer – is unable to compete following a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament. “With us, it’s a group thing – we stepped up at that moment and were ready for the challenge.” While the media coverage might have come as a surprise to the players, the fact that they’re hot property makes perfect sense to the rest of us: when a version of this squad took home the cup at the Euros last year, it was the first England team – men’s or women’s – to win a tournament in 56 years. Now with just weeks to go until the Women’s World Cup kicks off, the excitement – and pressure – is mounting for them to do it all again. “[The attention has] been more than I could possibly have imagined,” Earps admits. “There are parts that I really enjoy and parts that are tough – you’re constantly trying to keep a balance and make sure you’re doing the right thing. But I always remind myself that a couple of years ago I would’ve bitten someone’s arm off to be in this kind of demand. It feels weird to even say ‘demand’,” she laughs. owever, it’s not all been positive. Just last year, the women’s team received a barrage of sexist abuse under a single online ad by a sponsor. Yet both players are hopeful that perceptions are changing and, with time, further respect for female athletes will come. “There are still a lot of people who don’t think I’m good at what I do,” Earps says, “and that’s totally fine; I’m never going to be everybody’s cup of tea.”

eadlines were made again earlier this year when the BBC and ITV failed to place a high enough bid to win the broadcasting rights to the upcoming Women’s World Cup. Both channels defended their low bids, arguing that the difference in time zones (the tournament is taking place in Australia and New Zealand) would make live streaming inconvenient for viewers in Europe. Once again, it looked like women’s matches would be superseded by the men’s. In the end though, an agreement was reached and all 64 matches will now be streamed across the BBC and ITV (with the exception of the final, which will be broadcast on both). Not streaming the women’s games in Europe “would have been crazy,” agrees Bright when I chat to her about it on set. “But in the women’s game, we always fight for equality and what we deserve. For someone else to do that for once shows that people finally care about the women’s game.” This stoic patience underpins many of the answers from both Lionesses: they are determined to leave the game in a better place than when they found it, but they also recognise that change takes time. After all, women weren’t even allowed to play football professionally until the early 1900s, female footballers have historically always been paid and supported less than men. In fact, the appetite for female football only significantly increased after the Lionesses won their historic victory last year. However, both adidas athletes are keen to point out that it’s not about weighing up the differences between the men’s and women’s games; they want to make sure both professions continue to adapt in their own ways. “We never want to make comparisons,” says Bright. “It’s always about how we keep growing.”

"Winning is NEVER easy. If it was, everyone would do it"

TOP, CALVIN KLEIN JEANS; SHORTS, LEGGINGS, SHOES AND SOCKS, ADIDAS BY STELLA MCCARTNEY

JACKET AND TOP, ADIDAS ORIGINALS; TROUSERS AND SHOES, ADIDAS BY STELLA MCCARTNEY; RING, STYLIST’S OWN

JACKET, ADIDAS BY STELLA MCCARTNEY

MILLIE BRIGHT

JACKET AND TOP, ADIDAS ORIGINALS; SHORTS, CALVIN KLEIN JEANS; RINGS, STYLIST’S OWN

"There are still A LOT of people who don’t think I’m good at what I do, and that’s totally fine;

TOP, CALVIN KLEIN; SHORTS AND LEGGINGS, ADIDAS BY STELLA MCCARTNEY; EARRINGS, STYLIST’S OWN

MARY EARPS

MILLIE BRIGHT

DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY AND PHOTOGRAPHER: PIP BOURDILLON EDITOR IN CHIEF: ANDREA THOMPSON SHOOT AND FILM DIRECTOR: LISA OXENHAM HEALTH EDITOR AND WRITER: ALLY HEAD SENIOR DESIGNER: LOU MACLEOD CHIEF SUB-EDITOR: NICOLA MOYNE SUB-EDITOR: CATHERINE JARVIE PRODUCER: SOFIA PIZA VIDEOGRAPHER: AARON ELVIS KYLE VIDEO EDITOR: CINEMATIC COLLECTIVE STYLIST: KERRY SAXON MAKE-UP ARTIST AND HAIR STYLIST: CHELSEA GRAZIANO PHOTOGRAPHY ASSISTANT: JONATHAN FAULKNER ACCOMPANYING CONTENT: CHLOE GRAY, FERN BUCKLEY, DIONNE BRIGHTON STYLING ASSISTANT: KYLE LAWSON LOCATION: SPECTRUM STUDIOS, MANCHESTER; LEATHERHEAD LEISURE CENTRE

VICE-CAPTAIN

CAPTAIN

TOP, CALVIN KLEIN JEANS; SHORTS, LEGGINGS, SHOES AND SOCKS, ADIDAS BY STELLA MCCARTNEY

Headlines were made again earlier this year when the BBC and ITV failed to place a high enough bid to win the broadcasting rights to the upcoming Women’s World Cup. Both channels defended their low bids, arguing that the difference in time zones (the tournament is taking place in Australia and New Zealand) would make live streaming inconvenient for viewers in Europe. Once again, it looked like women’s matches would be superseded by the men’s. In the end though, an agreement was reached and all 64 matches will now be streamed across the BBC and ITV (with the exception of the final, which will be broadcast on both). Not streaming the women’s games in Europe “would have been crazy,” agrees Bright when I chat to her about it on set. “But in the women’s game, we always fight for equality and what we deserve. For someone else to do that for once shows that people finally care about the women’s game.” This stoic patience underpins many of the answers from both Lionesses: they are determined to leave the game in a better place than when they found it, but they also recognise that change takes time. After all, women weren’t even allowed to play football professionally until the early 1900s, and female footballers have historically always been paid and supported less than men. In fact, the appetite for female football only significantly increased after the Lionesses won their historic victory last year. However, both adidas athletes are keen to point out that it’s not about weighing up the differences between the men’s and women’s games; they want to make sure both professions continue to adapt in their own ways. “We never want to make comparisons,” says Bright. “It’s always about how we keep growing.”

JACKET AND TOP, ADIDAS ORIGINALS; SHORTS, CALVIN KLEIN JEANS; RINGS, STYLIST’S OWN

JACKET, ADIDAS BY STELLA MCCARTNEY

"There are still A LOT of people who don’t think I’m good at what I do, and that’s totally fine; I’m NEVER going to be everybody’s cup of tea."

MARY EARPS

JACKET AND TOP, ADIDAS ORIGINALS; TROUSERS, ADIDAS BY STELLA MCCARTNEY; RING, STYLIST’S OWN

As Earps sees it, both the games and the cultures surrounding them are totally different, with each having its own pitfalls and plus points. “I don’t think it’s ever going to be the same as the men’s, but the beauty of the women’s game is that it hopefully won’t suffer the same downfalls,” she explains. Female footballers, for example, tend to get into the sport later than men, allowing women footballers to finish their education before beginning their sporting careers – something Earps hopes will always be the case: “Education is so important,” she stresses. What often gets lost in translation is the argument that female players are demanding equal pay to men. “That’s not what we’re saying at all,” Earps says. “Everyone can see that the wages in men’s football are off the scale. We just want to be compensated fairly.” Earps has been candid about this subject before, after being dropped from the England women’s squad back in 2021. Her club at the time, Manchester United, offered her a new contract that didn’t cover her mortgage payments. It “felt like a step back,” she says. “It’s not all sunshine and rainbows – I started playing for Doncaster when I was in school, and we got paid £25 a game, for 14 games a year. It’s not a lot of money and it certainly wasn’t a professional wage.” Bright maintains that while there are good wages out there for female footballers, it’s about making sure every female footballer is offered that. “It’s making sure that the lower clubs are able to financially provide for their players and offer adequate facilities,” she asserts. “It’s more than just money. The whole system needs to be at the same rate – the bottom of the league needs to operate in the same way as the top of the league.”

TOP, CALVIN KLEIN; SHORTS AND LEGGINGS, ADIDAS BY STELLA MCCARTNEY; EARRINGS, STYLIST’S OWN

So, how do they deal with the pressure? It’s a huge part of the job, admits Bright. But, she says, “I’m used to being under pressure – it’s the way that you deal with that pressure and what you do with it that matters. As soon as we won the Euros, we wanted more. You just have to give more to win more.” Indeed, every single tournament is different and requires a levelled-up skillset. “What you did one year is never going to be enough the next year,” she says. “That’s just the beauty of the game.” Both players agree their careers have changed for the better since last summer, though. “I’ve spent a lot of my career being quite heavily criticised,” Earps admits. “But winning at the Euros, and the way I played at the Euros, means people look at me differently now.” While Earps is quick-witted and confident, Bright is calm and authoritative – a combination I’m certain will make them great at leading their teammates into what will arguably be one of the most high-pressure tournaments of our lifetimes. How does it feel to be a part of the team that has not only made history, but inspired a generation? “It’s what I play for,” Bright says with a smile. “I hope we’ve inspired young girls and boys. It indicates a shift in society and a shift in the way people think. We won, but we did so much more.”

"I hope we’ve INSPIRED young girls and boys. It indicates a SHIFT in society and a shift in the way people think. We won, but we did so much MORE."

MILLIE BRIGHT

They certainly did: attendance numbers at women's football matches have been smashing records ever since their Euros success, with one stat revealing the number of Women's Super League spectators has increased by 200% since the winning match. And it’s not just about what’s happening inside the stadium: a nationwide campaign in which the Lionesses petitioned for equal opportunity in sport led directly to a change the national curriculum, too, ensuring all genders are offered the same sporting opportunities in schools. Earps, meanwhile, has single-handedly made goalkeeping cool – something, she laughs, she could “chat about for hours”. Which brings us to the all-important question. Following a spate of injuries among that Euro-winning line-up, several of its strongest players will not be joining the team at the Women’s World Cup this summer – so do they think they still stand a good chance of winning? “Winning is never easy,” Bright replies. “If it was, everyone would do it. But we’re confident in our team and ready to face anything.” Spoken like a true Lioness.