SALT LAKE CITY — In the aftermath of the allegations of racism and sexism within the Real Salt Lake organization that were reported in the final days of August, players and staff of Utah Royals FC — the National Women’s Soccer League side in the RSL operation — have been left to grapple with those claims, some of which were said to be directed at members of the team.
On Friday afternoon, URFC captain Amy Rodriguez and head coach Craig Harrington met with media via Zoom for the first time since the allegations were reported. The message they presented was one of having zero tolerance for such behavior, but they also emphasized trying to move forward as a club, especially as URFC prepares for a four-game fall series to start later this month.
Rodriguez, who has been with the team since its beginning in Utah in late 2017, said “hindsight’s always 20/20” in regard to things that have been reported, and that now is a chance for the group to change the negative perception that has quickly come upon the organization.
“A lot of us have now opened up a lot of conversation about how we feel about it, and we’re not necessarily happy with some of the things that we’ve read and heard about,” she said. “Our job is to perform on the field. I’ve always felt that strongly, but I also want to be proud of my crest that I wear on my shirt.
“In this next coming bit, this is our time to kind of create a new identity for ourselves, create a new vibe, you could say, of the club, and hopefully one that is positive and includes change and expects equality and anti-racism. That’s kind of the direction we’re moving in, and I’m really proud of the locker room because I think the girls all believe in that and share in that and now we’re taking those steps forward.”
With owner Dell Loy Hansen announcing on Aug. 30 that he intends to sell Utah Soccer Holdings, which controls RSL, URFC, the Real Monarchs and numerous soccer facilities in the Salt Lake Valley, Rodriguez noted the good that Hansen did in elevating the NWSL, but she’s also looking forward to a fresh start with new ownership.
“I will say that I’ve always been excited to be a part of this club. I think what the previous ownership created here was something beautiful and wonderful, and we’ve reaped the benefits greatly here,” she said. “I do think that there is potential in a positive change with a revamp. ... I’m excited for the new ownership to come in, whoever that might be. I’m excited to rally with them, to play for them and also see what kind of positive change they bring to this club.”
As he did in a statement he posted on social media last week, Harrington on Friday expressed pride in his players for continuing to push forward despite the turmoil within the organization, and he echoed Rodriguez in saying there’s been a great deal of dialogue within the team about how they will collectively handle what has happened.
“There’s no room for (sexism and racism) and there’s no room for it in my team or anything I’m going to be a part of,” he said.
Harrington said “everyone’s managing in their own way,” but “in the heart reflection of the immediate aftermath it was really, really difficult for everybody here, but those moments sometimes bring you closer together, and we’ve got a lot of good people in the hole, so hopefully it can bring them (together) as a group.”
URFC is scheduled to open its fall series Sept. 20 on the road against Portland Thorns FC, but the Thorns’ game scheduled for Saturday in Portland has been moved to next Tuesday because of the fires in Oregon, and it’s unclear if that will have a domino effect on the game against URFC.