Nike
Football Ferns 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup Kit.
The Football Ferns have traded their white shorts for teal for this year’s FIFA Women’s World Cup.
New Zealand Football confirmed the team’s new kit for the tournament on home soil that starts in July.
The white shirt is combined with stormy (green-blue) shorts and it is the first time that the Varens do not have to wear a play kit with white shorts.
This comes as part of the global shift of female athletes wearing white shorts.
The black alternate strip uses a striking all-over print of a handmade Silver Fern pattern, which was created using a spray paint technique and featured on elements of both kits.
These kits will be worn for the first time by the Ferns in their games against Iceland on Saturday (1am NZT) and Nigeria.
Football Ferns centurion Hannah Wilkinson said: “The new jersey is epic, it’s just epic. I also really like the fact that we have color in our jerseys that is a little bit different. The one of blue color is an amazing change and even better, the absence of white shorts is now fantastic for women with any kind of menstrual anxiety.
“It has always been 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.”
In addition to the color change of the shorts, players are also offered Nike Leak Protection: Period innovation integrated into their playing shorts.
Andrew Pragnell, CEO of New Zealand Football, said: “As an organisation, New Zealand Football wholeheartedly supports the shift away from white shorts for our women’s international players.
“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.”
Paula Hansen, General Manager of the New Zealand Women’s World Cup, called it a more inclusive and responsive kit for our female international soccer players.
“As part of our mahi effort to ensure the legacy of the Women’s World Cup extends beyond the tournament into the game, we continue to work to ensure that football is welcoming and inclusive for all who wish to participate at all levels” , she said.
The playing shirts are available from April 5 in women’s and men’s models and from April 17 in the youth version.