Ground-breaking shirt collaboration | Playerlayer and Edinburgh University Ladies Rugby Club
PlayerLayer and Edinburgh University Ladies Rugby Club have unveiled a new, ground-breaking Women’s Rugby Shirt.
In a ground breaking collaboration between PlayerLayer and Edinburgh University Ladies Rugby Football Club, a leading women’s rugby kit has been created, challenging the status quo of women’s sports kit within a largely male dominated sport.
As strong believers in look good, feel good, play good, we felt that our teams deserved to play in shirts designed to fit our bodies, in turn reminding us that we belong in this sport just as much as any man does.
Addressing the issue head on, the club embarked on a year long project with PlayerLayer to design a kit that not only fits the female athletes but also empowers the players. The initiative begun when concerns were raised within the squad about the male shirt design creating discomfort on the pitch and struggling to work out sizing and the inability to accommodate the diverse body type within the sport.
The collaboration involved meticulous adjustments to the prototypes, fine-tuning measurements, and allowing squad members to train in the designs to provide valuable feedback.
The resulting product is a testament to the commitment of both EULRFC and PlayerLayer, addressing feedback and comments from a host of different body types.
"We are proudly one of the largest women's clubs in the country, playing at the top level of University rugby in Scotland and the UK," expressed Sarah Denholm. "In 2023, getting women's fitted kit became a non-negotiable. Hopefully, we can see other sports brands follow PlayerLayer's lead, and we can witness a movement towards equality in all areas of the game."
The significance of this endeavour goes beyond the pitch, aiming to eliminate a common barrier that female athletes face in many sports – ill-fitted kit. PlayerLayer emphasised their commitment to ensuring that kit-related issues do not hinder any girl's participation in sports, echoing the sentiment that kit should not be a barrier at any age or level of play.
Expressing gratitude for the collaborative effort, Sarah Denholm stated, "Not only does our new kit look great, but it gives us one thing less to worry about when we play. Hopefully, one day we will look back in disbelief that we ever had anything other than women's kit, but for now, we're happy to have made a step in the right direction."
Claire Cruikshank, Ladies Rugby Head Coach, added,
For too long, players have had to wear kit designed for men. Not only does this new specially designed kit fit the female body, meaning players can focus on their on-field performance, but it looks great too.
This collaborative effort between PlayerLayer and Edinburgh University Ladies Rugby is not just about introducing a new kit – it's about breaking barriers, championing equality, and empowering women in sports. The hope is that this pioneering initiative will inspire other women's teams across the country and beyond to demand and embrace change in sports apparel design.