Megan Rapinoe lauds Colin Kaepernick in response to fellow NSWL players kneeling

Megan Rapinoe lauded the National Women's Soccer League players after both teams opted to kneel during the national anthem during before the season opener on Saturday. North Carolina Courage and Portland Thorns FC clashed at Zions Bank Stadium in Utah, which was the first league game in the United States since professional sports leagues were suspended in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

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NSWL players kneel before Challenge Cup opener

While the entire nation's eyes were on the game between the women's soccer stars, all 22 players, as well as reserves from both teams, showed solidarity with the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement by taking a knee during the national anthem. Several players and coaches were seen wearing Black Lives Matter shirts and armbands and they took a knee for the second time right before kickoff. 

Megan Rapinoe, who has been a longterm advocate of the Colin Kaepernick kneeling movement, took to Twitter to share her appreciation for the NSWL players for their bold stance. She wrote to Twitter how she loved watching women using their voice to stand against social injustices, "demanding better" for the United States. Megan Rapinoe tagged both teams along with Colin Kaepernick in her tweet. 

The Colin Kaepernick kneeling movement started in 2016 after the quarterback started kneeling during the national anthem throughout the 2016 NFL season. The then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback was heavily criticised for his protests, which ultimately led to his NFL exit in 2017. Megan Rapinoe, who plays for OL Reign, even supported the Colin Kaepernick kneeling movement in 2016 when she knelt during the national anthem at an NWSL game and two national games.

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With players from several leagues showing their support for Colin Kaepernick's protests against racial injustice, US Soccer adopted a rule that made it mandatory for players to stand during the national anthem. In the wake of the ongoing protests, the rule was repealed earlier this month as NSWL, as well as the MLS, urged players to show their support for the protests. 

As mentioned, the Courage's 2-1 win over the Thorns was the first game since leagues were suspended in March. "We took a knee today to protest racial injustice, police brutality, and systemic racism against Black people and people of colour in America,” the statement from NSWL players read. “We love our country and we have taken this opportunity to hold it to a higher standard. It is our duty to demand that the liberties and freedoms this nation was founded upon are extended to everyone.”

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Why is Megan Rapinoe not playing in the Challenge Cup?

Megan Rapinoe, Tobin Heath and Christen Press are among several NSWL players who opted out of the Challenge Cup due concerns about the coronavirus pandemic. “Megan let us know that she has decided not (to) play in the tournament,” OL Reign chief executive Bill Predmore said in a statement. “Like all NWSL players, she was given the option to participate. We understand and respect her decision.”

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(Image Credits: Megan Rapinoe Twitter Handle)