London Mavericks: Skirts, skirts and leggings – why are netball kits getting a new look?

Body image is important in sports at all levels, and NSL players take it very seriously.

Australian Elle McDonald, who left the Cardiff-based Dragons at the end of last season, said the team’s motto was “look good, feel good, play well”.

Manchester Thunder and England star Amy Carter spoke about diversity in dressing rooms when she told BBC Sport earlier this year: “You have really feminine girls who want to do all the make-up, make-up and hair styling at netball matches.

“But you also have girls who don’t want to do that kind of thing and may not even want to wear dresses and want to wear more T-shirts and leggings.”

Sports leaders are listening. The Mavericks say their changes will “remove barriers to participation and raise standards.”

Recent research by the charity Women in Sport found that 64% of girls drop out of sport at school at the age of 16, with one of the main reasons being the equipment choices available to them.

More than two-thirds of the 143 elite British female athletes who responded to a BBC Sport survey in 2024 said the majority of the equipment they used was not specifically designed for women.

The International Hockey Federation agreed in 2023 that players on the same team can wear combinations of skirts, shorts and skirts, while England’s Lionesses switched from white to blue shorts after players expressed concerns about menstruation.

Wimbledon’s all-white rule will be relaxed in 2022 to allow women to wear dark-coloured underpants at the Grand Slam tennis tournament.

In netball, the Australian Federation has announced a wide range of kit options for players in 2022.

British Olympic hockey player Tess Howard leads the Inclusive Sportswear Charter, which is involved in the Mavericks initiative.

Howard said the Mavericks team “normalizes kit selection and gives schools and clubs the confidence to follow through.”

NSL managing director Claire Nelson agreed, saying the decision represented “more than just a change in the group”.

“It’s about belonging, ensuring women and girls feel safe, seen and celebrated in our sport.”