Swansea City Ladies swap white shorts for black in bid to lessen period concerns

Swansea City Ladies will line up in black shorts for their home game against Aberystwyth on Sunday with the team opting for a move to dark-coloured shorts to lessen period concerns during games.

The switch from white to black came at a time when the national conversation about periods and women’s sport is on the up, and follows the example of West Bromwich Albion Women, who made the change from white shorts to navy earlier this month.

Wearing white during your period is not something any woman would choose, and wearing white shorts during a sporting fixture even less so. Women in sport have had to contend with this for a long time.

Supported by the club, and with permission from the Football Association of Wales, Swansea City Ladies are the first team in the Adran Leagues to switch from white shorts to dark ones for this reason.

Defender Jess Williams said: “I think it’s a big step for the women’s game and it’s a good step for Swansea to be taking. It means a lot to all the girls.

“For some teams playing it white shorts is an ongoing thing, so for the Swans to take the steps so fast once it was raised as an issue means a lot to us. We’re all going to feel a lot more comfortable playing in our home kit going forward.

“It’s a bit of a weight off our shoulders to be honest, we can go out and just play now without any worries or feeling like you have to check with a team-mate that your shorts are okay.

“Now we can just go out and play the game and have no worries.

“We’re really pleased to be the first team in the Adran Leagues to do this – it’s a good step, not just for us as a team but for the league as well.”