‘It’s not practical when it’s the time of the month’ – England Women ask Nike to change shorts over period concerns
ENGLAND’S stars have asked Nike to consider changing the colour of their shorts as white ones are impractical during their periods.
Hotshot Beth Mead, 27, says the current all-white shorts are a concern for female footballers during their menstrual cycles.
Mead, who bagged the only goal during England’s Euros win over Austria, was speaking after their contest opener.
She said: “That (concern over the shorts) is something we have fed to Nike. I think hopefully they are going to change that.
“It is very nice to have an all-white kit but sometimes it’s not practical when it’s the time of the month.
“We have discussed it as a team, and we have fed that back to Nike.”
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Mead’s sentiments were backed by team-mate Georgia Stanway after her solid midfield shift at the Theatre of Dreams.
But the Lioness, 23, believes the topic may be tricky with fans being more familiar with the team’s traditional white kit.
Stanway said: “I think next year there is potentially (going to be) a colour change.
“It’s hard because once you’re on the grass nothing else matters.”
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England’s aces have not always donned white shorts in the past.
During the 1995 World Cup, the team which featured former boss Hope Powell wore dark blue shorts with the side’s traditional white shirt.
Female athletes wearing all-white during their periods is an ongoing issue across different sports.
Last month, tennis aces questioned the All England Club’s rule of all-white wear for women competing at Wimbledon, particularly during their periods.
Two-time doubles champion Rennae Stubbs revealed the dilemma of wearing white dresses during menstruation is a much-discussed topic.
The 2001 and 2004 Wimbledon doubles champion told Telegraph Sport: “At Wimbledon, you’re very cognizant of making sure that everything’s ‘good to go’ the moment you walk on the court – making sure that you have a tampon.
“A lot of women have pads on top of that or making sure you have an extra-large tampon before you go on court.”