The days of sports women wearing white shorts are numbered. Well, almost. Wimbledon, the IRFU, England and the United States of America have already moved with the times.
“It’s very nice to have an all-white kit, but sometimes it’s not practical when it’s the time of the month,” said Arsenal and England’s Beth Mead. “We’ve discussed it as a team and we’ve fed that back to Nike.”
The Republic of Ireland women’s squad, captained by Katie McCabe, have agreed to play in white shorts against the USA this Saturday in Austin, Texas and into the future
The Ireland women’s rugby team broke with tradition this year by switching to navy shorts, having adopted player feedback about “period anxiety.” Even Wimbledon are allowing a shift from their stuffy all-white rules by allowing dark coloured undershorts.
The FAI are going down a similar route to tennis, with the association confirming last night that following discussions with McCabe’s “senior leadership group” they will wear “the traditional green jersey, white shorts and green socks as part of the new Castore home kit”.
“The FAI consulted with the senior leadership group within the squad and with management on the possibility of switching the colour of the shorts but with the supply of protective underwear the players felt that staying with white shorts was the preferred option,” the FAI statement added.
[ Ireland to wear navy shorts for Six Nations over ‘period anxieties’Opens in new window ]
Asked earlier about a potential change, Ireland striker Amber Barrett said: “We have just had the change-over from Umbro to Castore and hopefully over the next while, for all women’s teams, that is something that will be part and parcel of their kits.”
Barrett’s preference is to wear non-white shorts.
“I think it would make every woman’s life a lot easier.”
On Monday, Nike confirmed that English and American women footballers will wear darker shorts in 2023.
A more pressing matter for Barrett, who scored the goal against Scotland at Hampden Park last October to send Ireland to their first major tournament, is selection. The Donegal native has struggled for minutes at Bundesliga bottom club Turbine Potsdam since damaging her shoulder when picked at right back last year.
“We played Leverkusen in the first week of December, I had a tackle with a player and landed on my shoulder,” Barrett explained. “I ruptured one of the ligaments on my shoulder, tore my deltoid muscle as well and had a lot of bone bruising. To be honest with you, I think the bone bruising was the biggest thing to get over.
“I had a very slow recovery from it, was in a sling for a while and you just trying to get back to basic movements and it is like everything else, as soon as you hurt it, you realise how important it is and how much you use it.”
Barret has featured off the bench for Potsdam but time is running out for fringe players striving to make the final cut for the World Cup in Australia this summer. Liverpool’s Leanne Kiernan is also recovering from an ankle injury.
“I had a very good conversation with Vera [Pauw] in the last camp and she wanted to manage that load and wanted me to get the best opportunity to be fit as soon as possible, it is good to have that and I am feeling much better now with it.”
Previously it seemed unthinkable that Barrett would miss out on World Cup selection but the player knows there are no guarantees in this game.
“I think every player has to have that in the back of their minds,” said Barrett. “They know there’s 23 positions up for grabs and I don’t think anyone can say they’re definitely going.”
US born midfielder Sinead Farrelly and four-times capped Éabha O’Mahony, who is studying in Texas, will train with Pauw’s squad this week.
Outside the camp, support for Ireland on Saturday could potentially come in the shape of 400-metre sprinting sensation Rhasidat Adeleke, who is based in the University of Texas, and the GAA football All-Stars.
“I was planning on asking Vera if she would let me away on the Sunday to play in the All-Star match but I am not sure I am going to get the go-ahead just yet!” said Barrett.
