The Copa AUF Sin Género, or non-gender cup will once again be crowned in Uruguayan soccer. The cup is given to the club who achieves the most points between the Men’s and Women’s top flights combined. Meaning the total points of what was earned in each league is the final standing in the non-gender competition.
Last season it was Club Nacional de Football who obtained the first edition, and the Uruguayan soccer federation (AUF) took the initiative to create the cup as a way to integrate the men’s and women’s game.
The AUF wants to send a message of equality and integration across all the competitions, but the differences between the men’s game and women’s game is still far from perfect.
Women soccer players protest for equality in Uruguay
On July 4th both the women soccer players of the first and second divisions began a protest so that women’s soccer in Uruguay is seen as an investment instead of “a cost”. The players protested in front of the Uruguayan players union in search of better installations and an overall better economic outlook.
A tall order for the women as the men’s game suffers from many of the same issues, as Uruguayan clubs are severely depleted in installations and infrastructure. While AUF is trying to integrate the men’s and women’s game, a lot of work has to be done to professionalize both.
