Young Matilda uniform equality calls ahead of World Cup

Young Matilda Emma Ilijoski is asking for something she never thought she could have: a soccer uniform that actually fits.

Millions of women around the world have been forced to play in ill-fitting men’s kits.

In Australia, at least 96 per cent of women play in men’s shorts and jerseys, a Professional Footballers Australia survey has found.

“We got stinky used men’s uniforms. Felt like we were in sacks,” one survey respondent said.

“It was too baggy and I absolutely hated it so I stopped playing football for a while,” another wrote.

Ilijoski, a defender for the A-League’s Canberra United, can’t put a finger on the first time she wore a kit she was happy with.

“I started playing football when I was eight, so I remember having my shorts tucked up and my shirt to the bottom of my elbows,” she told AAP.

“Even now, I still have bibs that go down to below my shorts and tracksuit pants that never fit me ever.”

Ilijoski said it was not enough to be given new kits instead of hand-me-downs – they needed to be designed in consultation with women.

For example, men’s shorts are cut in the wrong shape given men don’t have big hips and have areas of their bodies that need more material than what a woman would require.

Women often roll the waistbands to shorten the shorts which causes issues like bunching fabric around the crotch area.

“You want to look good and feel good to be able to play good,” Ilijoski said.

“It may not seem like it’s a big thing but all of these small details – whether it’s the socks that keep falling down because it’s too big around the calves – make a really big impact.”

Australian sportswear brand PARK has taken up the campaign, launching a sustainable women’s kit line in consultation with female players around the world.

PARK co-founder Sam Davy worked over two years with community athletes and professional international players to develop the range.

“We heard lots of quite ridiculous stories,” he said.

“There was a player that was playing Champions League football and the kit that they were given to play in was a man’s kit.

“They basically had to put over the top with stickers the different sponsors that the women’s team had because they just didn’t have the equipment for them to play in.”

Women will be able to choose a PARK kit that suits their body shape and how they like it to feel, from shorts of varying lengths and jerseys specifically fitted and sized for women.

Part of PARK’s sustainability mission, the kit is also created with unique fabrics like seaweed and natural algae treatments that elevate technical function while lowering carbon emissions.

Ilijoski hopes the campaign spreads down to lower levels to empower young girls starting their sports careers, with Mr Davy aiming to grow the brand beyond soccer.

“It’s great that some of the World Cup players get to play in kits designed specifically for women, but why shouldn’t every player get that opportunity, no matter their level?” Ilijoski said.