It’s been four long months since players at the Newington Phoenix Netball Club based in Sydney’s west were allowed on the court.
And to mark their eagerly anticipated return to netball on Thursday evening, the players donned a new look to promote a longstanding message.
“Netball and team sports are all about being together and having a connection, and teamwork and all those relationships you build. And I think the new uniform shows all the different cultures, no matter who you are we can all play netball. We can all have fun,” Newington Phoenix player Saskia Luckan said.
Players of the sport, which has existed in Australia since the 1920s, have traditionally worn uniforms of dresses and skirts on the court.
Newington Phoenix netballers playing in their new uniforms. Source: SBS News
Netball NSW executive general manager of community and pathways Darren Simpson said the state-based peak body is the sport's first in Australia that has officially changed its uniform guidelines to be more gender and culturally inclusive.
"A little bit of a long time coming in walking away from the tradition of the dress and we're lucky enough to have just released some new uniform guidelines that are really going to encourage people, encourage associations and clubs to take a new look at their uniforms and make them a lot more inclusive and welcoming - and really allow people to wear what they want to wear on the netball court," he said.
A survey by Netball NSW found 85 per cent of players preferred to wear a shirt and shorts on the court - a statistic that influenced the decision to change the guidelines to provide players with a range of new options.
"They include everything that you can think of - from the traditional dress to tights, compression garments, long sleeve, short sleeve, singlets, t-shirts, the traditional headwear. We've got all things covered," Mr Simpson told SBS News.
The move is changing the game for many who have struggled with the restriction of wearing dresses.
Newington Phoenix players Alia Coubrough (left) and Alexis Acheampong (right). Source: SBS News
"Before it was only dresses, but now we have shirts. We have two types of shirts; we have a few dresses and one of the people on my team they wore a hijab. So it's easier," said Alia Coubrough, who wore a hoodie at training.
Margaret Sheppard from the Parramatta Auburn Netball Association says some local clubs in western Sydney have been providing more inclusive uniform guidelines for several years.
"We had a really good marketing person a couple of years ago and she put a whole booklet together on where to purchase our uniform and to be diverse to anyone that wanted to come and play. They had their own choice of what they wanted to be in either shorts and shirts, or the uniform or long tights, or long jumpers as long. As they matched the colours, that was about all that the stipulations were."
Fourteen-year-old Saskia now hopes more clubs follow suit.
"I think that every club should have [this] because every club has different cultures in it. And I think that everyone needs to be included and it is part of something that is good for them, that they can look back on and think: 'yeah I was playing netball and I was wearing something I was comfortable in and I was happy'."
As netball pushes to become an Olympic sport - it's hoped the change in uniform will also encourage more men to join the game.
“I hope it means a lot more inclusiveness and a lot more opportunity for people to not see there being a uniform as a barrier," Mr Simpson said.
"Some people would've previously seen the uniform as a barrier. We know that we want to build in men's and boys is a really big place for us to move into, there's talk about netball potentially being an Olympic sport in 2032 in Brisbane. We're going to need to have a men’s side of the competition to be there."
