New Zealand’s Football Ferns are dropping white shorts ahead of the World Cup to allay players’ concerns about getting their periods
- New Zealand Football Ferns closed white shorts
- Move is part of the global shift in women’s sports
- Athletes have expressed concerns about menstruation
The New Zealand women’s football team has ditched white shorts from their uniforms ahead of the FIFA Women’s World Cup after players raised concerns about playing while on their period.
The country’s Football Association has announced that the Football Ferns will be swapping their home kit’s traditional white shorts for teal.
The side’s secondary away kit is all black with an all over print of a handmade Silver Fern pattern.
The decision is part of a global move away from female athletes wearing white shorts and follows the lead of several other teams in world sport, including the England women’s national football team.
The shift to the new shorts has been welcomed by many players, including New Zealand striker Hannah Wilkinson.
New Zealand women’s football team ditched white shorts from their uniform after players raised concerns about playing while on their period
The Football Ferns swap the traditional white shorts of their home kit for teal numbers (pictured) ahead of the World Cup in July
“It’s always something that female athletes, not just football players, have had to deal with. Ultimately, it just helps us focus more on performance and shows recognition and appreciation for women’s health,” she said.
England’s Lauren Hemp also described it as a “huge step in the right direction.”
“It’s very important for us as players,” said de Leeuwin.
“It has been discussed for years and it is important that we have confidence while playing and this is a huge step in the right direction.
“We can feel comfortable if we weren’t sometimes when it’s your time of the month, so it’s great to step away from white shorts and not have those worries,” she added.
“We can just concentrate on the matches at hand.”
In addition to the shorts change, players will now also be offered Nike Leak Protection: Period innovation, which is integrated into their kit.
New Zealand football boss Andrew Pragnell is very proud of the move.
“As an organisation, New Zealand Football wholeheartedly supports the shift away from white shorts for our women’s international players,” he said.
The decision is part of a global shift in women athletes wearing white shorts and follows the lead of several other teams, including England’s women’s national football team.
“The kits are a tribute to Aotearoa’s sporting heritage, with the white shirt holding a special place in our footballing traditions and the black being synonymous with New Zealand sport and we can’t wait to see our Ferns wearing these kits.”
New Zealand will wear the new kits for friendlies against Iceland over the next two weeks and during the FIFA Women’s World Cup, which they will host with Australia from July.