The Ireland women’s rugby team has chosen to change their traditional white shorts and instead make a permanent switch to navy.
The move, which is being enabled by kit supplier Canterbury of New Zealand and the IRFU, comes as a response to players’ feedback about period anxieties.
The new shorts were worn for the first time by Ireland captain Nichola Fryday at the TikTok Women’s Six Nations launch today and which will be covered on Sport for Business tomorrow morning.
They will be worn by the team for the duration of the tournament, which kicks off on Saturday 25th March.
As part of the shift, Canterbury is also offering other teams and players at all levels, who have previously purchased Canterbury white women’s shorts, the chance to claim a free pair in a different colour.
The opportunity applies to players who have purchased women’s white shorts from Canterbury in the last three years. The announcement comes after players voiced concerns about playing in white rugby kit during their period.
Players can claim their free pair of shorts by contacting Canterbury via their online Help Centre, or if they’re part of a rugby club, by reaching out to teamwear@canterbury.com
“The top way to ensure we perform to our best on the field is by removing any unnecessary distractions,” said Irish International Enya Breen.
“Wearing navy shorts instead of white is such a small thing, but for us it’s a big step from Canterbury and the IRFU. Our hope is that it will help women at all levels of rugby feel more comfortable on the field so they can get on with performing at their best in the game that they love.”
The IRFU will be publishing an update to progress on its development of a new era for Women’s Rugby next week.
