Dresses will no longer be the only uniform option for Australian netballers, after the sport’s governing body announced a change to its guidelines two years following a review which found that netball uniforms were turning people away.
The change adds to a growing list of sporting leagues which have changed their dress code policies for female athletes, following both public discussions and studies that cite the influence uniforms have on girls’ participation in sport. Most recently, the AFL changed its uniform rules to ease anxiety for AFLW players who are menstruating.
Players can choose any combination of uniform items after Netball Australia changed its uniform policy. Credit:Getty
As part of Netball Australia’s updated guidelines, which will apply to all participants of the sport – including both community and professional clubs – players can choose any combination of uniform items.
These items include dresses, singlets, bodysuits, short or long sleeve shirts, skirts, shorts and long pants. Players can also choose a style that covers legs, arms or head, to cater for a range of factors, including cultural sensitivities.
Each club and team will need to make formal submissions to their governing association for approval; however, the individual player will not have to justify their choice of uniform. The changes will come into effect on January 1 next year.
Some state associations adopted their own uniforms changes last year. Netball Victoria was one of the first to announce a change to its guidelines, but did not formalise it as a policy – meaning clubs and teams within the association could choose not to adopt the changes. Netball NSW, however, did change its rules with an enforceable policy.
“It is clear that rigidity when it comes to clubs only allowing dresses is holding back our participation numbers,” Netball NSW boss Tain Drinkwater said at the time of the change.
“Netball is ever-evolving, and we need to reflect this in all aspects of our game, including uniform choices,” Netball Australia’s manager for strategy, government and community Glenn Turnor said.
“The guidelines have been adopted by all member organisations, meaning all participating netball bodies will be united by the same national guidelines.”
The changes come almost two years after a multi-level review of the game, conducted to assess the impact of COVID-19, found – among other factors – the uniform was turning people away from netball.
Diamonds legend Liz Ellis led a review which the uniform was turning people away from netball.
That review, led by netball great Liz Ellis, surveyed 10,000 netball fans, participants and volunteers and provided eight recommendations based on the sport’s future development and prosperity.
As part of its second recommendation, the review said there were opportunities to grow both customer satisfaction, and revenue, by “making it easier and more enjoyable for people to play more often, wearing clothes they feel comfortable in”.
“The uniform is just a small component of what the sport can do better but it is an important part for some people,” Ellis said at the time.
At the time of the review’s publication in late 2020, Netball Australia did not make any blanket changes to its uniform policy, but said it would begin speaking with relevant stakeholders about their views on the eight recommendations made in the report.
Dissatisfaction of the uniform was reported in 2007, after a report commissioned by Netball Australia – Motivations and Barriers to Women Participating in Sport and Netball – recommended that teams in lower grades be allowed to wear shorts.
“Having uniform options to suit all body types and physiques … was seen as way of encouraging the body conscious into the sport,” the report said.
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