The Southern Highlands Netball Association has endorsed the release of a new clothing line from Netball NSW, which it believes will encourage inclusivity in the game.
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On Tuesday, Netball NSW announced its new range of uniforms, which it said in a statement were "designed to provide a more inclusive and welcoming environment for people of all ages, gender identity and cultural backgrounds".
The revealed apparel includes singlets, t-shirts, long-sleeve tops, shorts, and compression wear, alongside the traditional dress, to suit all players on the court.
"I'm all for it, and our association is all for it," Southern Highlands Netball vice president, Cecilia Marmont, said.
"We've already started looking into how to make our uniforms more gender-inclusive, because when you see that the uniform is a dress, you think 'Oh, boys aren't allowed to play'.
"But boys have been allowed to play for a really long time, up until a certain age in mixed competition. So it's really good that our governing bodies like Netball Australia and Netball NSW are really driving this."
Netball NSW CEO, Tain Drinkwater, said the common misconception that players must wear dresses was not only impacting the number of players in the sport, but the diversity of those who do play.
"Netball NSW believes that all participants should, as far as possible, be supported in wearing a uniform that allows them to participate in netball in the manner in which they feel most comfortable," Drinkwater said.
"Contrary to popular belief, the rules of netball do not indicate that a registered playing uniform must be a dress. The rules indicate that it must be the registered playing uniform. This uniform is defined by clubs and approved by associations. This means our grassroots community has the chance to ensure uniforms are inclusive for everyone.
"The key aim of this is to make sure we advance our position as a sport for people not just of all cultural backgrounds and gender identities, but all shapes and sizes too. It is clear that rigidity when it comes to clubs only allowing dresses is holding back our participation numbers."
The new uniforms were designed by Valour Sport, a Sydney-based sportswear company which is the apparel partner of Netball NSW. They are the end result of an effort which was sparked by Netball Australia's State of the Game review.
The review found that rigidity regarding the state of the uniforms was holding the game back, as many in the community were hesitant to participate due to the dress code.
This, Marmont said, was not a sentiment specific to men.
"There are girls out there who think the uniform is too girly and they don't want to play because it's in a dress," she said.
"It works both ways, it's coming from both genders. And short-sleeved shirts, they're really comfortable and it doesn't have that sense of exclusiveness about that either."
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