Wrexham AFC’s men and women are both coming to the United States this summer, taking part in the 2024 “Wrex Coast Tour.”
The women’s appearance across the pond for the second edition of The Soccer Tournament, a 7v7 $1 million winner-takes-all competition, is largely thanks to Ally Financial, who have been announced as a sponsor and as the presenting partner of the tour.
The financial services company, which is the US’ largest all-digital bank, became interested in the club after the women’s squad was featured in the second season of Welcome to Wrexham.
It’s the latest investment in women’s sports for Ally, which has positioned itself as one of the biggest corporate backers of gender equality across sports sponsorship - something which has generated huge awareness for the brand, as well as pride among its employees, including Joanna Tyson (Senior Recruiter - Auto & Insurance, Ally).
What she said:
“Ally Financial [has] announced its historic sponsorship with Wrexham AFC Women to help bring the club to the U.S. for the first time this summer…
Two years ago, we pledged to reach equal spending on advertising between men's and women's sports within five years.
As a former soccer player, I love that my company is elevating and investing in women athletes, challenging the status quo, and championing greater visibility for women's sports. We’re in the game, are you?”
Bravo to Ally for being so steadfast in their mission!
The fact they are spending equally and yet getting such notoriety specifically from their investments in women’s sport also says something, right?
ANOTHER THOUGHT…
Amidst all the applause, the focus of this news (on elevating international presence and advancing the commercial landscape) does also provide an opportunity to highlight a crucial aspect which I believe remains broadly under-discussed regarding women's sport: the performance and wellbeing of female athletes.
Ensuring that the support for female players—in terms of player care, equipment, and facilities—evolves in tandem with their commercial responsibilities is vital for sustainable growth and to achieve holistic development within women's football.
Currently, they appear (to me, from the outside) to be growing on different trajectories…
All this to say, let's celebrate amazing commercial advancements like this one with Wrexham and Ally (which truly will do wonders for the game), but let's also consider the consequences of these increased commercial expectations and the steps we might be able to take in order to mitigate the negative ones.
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