Utah Royals returning to Utah with policy assuring abortion for players
Mar 13, 2023, 7:00 PM
FILE: Towels marking the return of the National Women’s Soccer League team, the Utah Royals, hang on the backs of chairs during a news conference by the Real Salt Lake ownership at America First Field in Sandy on Saturday, March 11, 2023. The Utah Royals women's soccer team will build a new multi-million dollar training facility at the Zions Bank Real Academy in Herriman. (Ryan Sun, Deseret News)
(Ryan Sun, Deseret News)
SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Royals FC women’s soccer team is returning to Salt Lake City.
We are back. pic.twitter.com/4Z9ZONritT
— Utah Royals (@UtahRoyalsFC) March 12, 2023
And when they return, the club is reportedly going to offer out-of-state travel costs, in case someone on the team needs an abortion.
“It’s important across all of our organizations that that medical benefit was available,” Ryan Smith told the Salt Lake Tribune. He’s the owner of Real Salt Lake and the Royals.
In a statement to KSL, the soccer club said they have a policy in place to cover any medical procedure that is not provided in the state of Utah.
They’ll also reimburse up to $4 thousand for travel and hotel costs.
Abortions are currently legal in Utah, up until 18 weeks of pregnancy. But the state also has a trigger law which is currently on hold due to a court injunction. Should the trigger law take effect, it would ban almost all abortions in Utah.
Related reading:
- Utah abortion ban could take effect if lawmakers change a procedural rule
- New bill would close Utah abortion clinics and prevent new ones
- Former Utah Royals owner and coach named in women’s soccer abuse investigation
