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

Body image matters in sport at all levels, and it is taken seriously by NSL players.

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

Manchester Thunder and England star Amy Carter spoke of diversity in dressing rooms when she told BBC Sport earlier this year: “You’ve got the really girly girls that want to do all the make-up, do the hair and do the slick-back for the netball games.

“But then you also have the girls that don’t want to do that sort of stuff and might not want to even wear dresses and want to wear more T-shirts and leggings.”

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

Recent research by charity Women in Sport found 64% of girls drop out of sport at school at 16, with one of the main reasons found being the kit options open to them.

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

Hockey’s international federation agreed in 2023 that players on the same team could wear combinations of skirts, shorts and skorts, while England’s Lionesses football team switched from white to blue shorts after players expressed period concerns.

Wimbledon’s all-white rule was eased in 2022 to allow women to wear dark-coloured undershorts at the tennis Grand Slam.

In netball, Australia’s federation announced a wide range of kit options for players in 2022.

Great Britain Olympic hockey player Tess Howard is driving the Inclusive Sportswear Charter, which is involved in the Mavericks’ initiative.

Howard said the Mavericks are “normalising kit choice and giving schools and clubs the confidence to follow”.

NSL managing director Claire Nelson approves, saying the decision marks “more than a change in kit”.

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