Skirts, skorts and leggings - why netball kits are getting a new look

The netball dress is an iconic sporting uniform - and it's not about to fall out of fashion any time soon.

But its figure-hugging design, often also very short, is not to everyone's liking - and that includes players from the top end of the game down to grassroots level.

Which is why a change is coming to the English game, led by London Mavericks, and it is one the Netball Super League (NSL) club believes will make the sport more welcoming to the young generations that are frightened away year after year by the lack of permitted uniforms that suit their body type.

Dresses are still in, and many players are expected to still favour them, but also on the kit peg will be options of shorts, skorts (skirts with shorts attached underneath), plus leggings and longer vests.

"I always train in leggings and that's what I feel most comfortable in, rather than the traditional dress," said Mavericks and England defender Razia Quashie.

"To be able to wear this on the court in a match is something that I know will help me feel my best, which can only have a positive impact on performance."

Quashie described the new choice as "a great way" to keep youngsters involved, allowing them to dress in kit that suits them best rather than an outfit that might be unflattering or uncomfortable.

Captain Ellie Rattu agreed, adding: "We want to feel good when we're playing. The last thing you want is to be more focused on what you're wearing than the game itself, and that can have a negative impact on performance.

"Confidence is everything in sport and if this is a way to elevate our performance as a team then I am in full support."

With the 2026 season beginning in February, other NSL teams could soon follow suit.

Body image matters in sport at all levels, and it is taken seriously by NSL players.

Australian Elle McDonald, who left Cardiff-based Dragons at the end of last season, said there was a "look good, feel good, play good" motto in the team.

Manchester Thunder and England star Amy Carter spoke of diversity in dressing rooms when she told BBC Sport earlier this year: "You've got the really girly girls that want to do all the make-up, do the hair and do the slick-back for the netball games.

"But then you also have the girls that don't want to do that sort of stuff and might not want to even wear dresses and want to wear more T-shirts and leggings."

The sport's leaders are listening. Mavericks say their changes will "remove barriers to participation and raise standards".

Recent research by charity Women in Sport found 64% of girls drop out of sport at school at 16, with one of the main reasons found being the kit options open to them.

More than two-thirds of 143 elite British sportswomen who responded to a BBC Sport questionnaire in 2024 said the majority of the equipment they used was not specifically designed for a woman.

Hockey's international federation agreed in 2023 that players on the same team could wear combinations of skirts, shorts and skorts, while England's Lionesses football team switched from white to blue shorts after players expressed period concerns.

Wimbledon's all-white rule was eased in 2022 to allow women to wear dark-coloured undershorts at the tennis Grand Slam.

In netball, Australia's federation announced a wide range of kit options for players in 2022.

Great Britain Olympic hockey player Tess Howard is driving the Inclusive Sportswear Charter, which is involved in the Mavericks' initiative.

Howard said the Mavericks are "normalising kit choice and giving schools and clubs the confidence to follow".

NSL managing director Claire Nelson approves, saying the decision marks "more than a change in kit".

"It's about belonging, and ensuring women and girls feel safe, seen, and celebrated in our sport."