West Brom Women will wear navy shorts with their home kit from now on because of concerns about having to wear white while on their periods.
The players will wear navy for the rest of this season and beyond after discussions with the club.
Wearing white while on a period is an issue that has been highlighted by women across all sports, including the Lionesses who contacted their kit manufacturer, Nike, after calling their shorts “not practical” during Euro 2022.
After consultation with the players, West Brom have taken a forward-thinking approach and confirmed the colour change, with a pledge to consider the situation when designing all future home kits.
The West Brom captain, Hannah George, told the club website: “It’s great that the club are supporting our change to navy shorts. Representing the club professionally and looking smart in the kit is really important to us. This change will help us to focus on our performance without added concerns or anxiety.”
The head coach, Jenny Sugarman, added: “It’s our job as staff to find every percentage point we can to support our players to perform at their best. I’m proud the club have supported the decision to switch to navy shorts for our female players. It’s another sign of the continued integration of the women’s team across the club and recognition of a progressive and inclusive culture.”
During the summer, England’s Beth Mead said the issue had been raised as soon as the new Lionesses kit was unveiled for the European Championship.
“It’s something we’ve fed back to Nike,” said Mead. “Hopefully they’re going to change that [the colour]. It’s very nice to have an all-white kit but sometimes it’s not practical when it’s the time of the month.”
The issue has also been raised at Wimbledon, where a strict dress code requires players to wear white.
