As they grow up, girls are less likely to participate in sport than boys, and more likely to drop out. While there are many factors behind this, a report from the UK charity Women in Sport found that “sport is an ‘invisible stage’ where girls feel everyone is noticing them… coming to terms with their changing body and period creates anxiety.”
A 2022 global survey by Puma and Modibodi found that one in two girls are quitting sport due to periods. The findings pointed to the top causes being embarrassment, pain or fear of leaks during periods.
The “coloured pants” movement aims to keep young female cricketers on the field by swapping the sport’s iconic white trousers with black pairs, helping players who have started menstruating feel more comfortable during the game. This initiative was developed by the West Australian Cricket Association following various research findings and insights. The Cricket Australia and CommBank’s Growing Cricket for Girls Fund provided the funding to pilot this concept which is expected to expand in future years.
Watch this video of Australian cricketer Alana King delivering coloured pants to young players from South Perth Cricket Club:
Jo Boundy, Chief Marketing Officer at CommBank, said: “CommBank has supported women’s cricket for 23 years, so we’re proud to back this initiative that will keep young players on the field and help to grow the next generation of Australian women’s cricket champions.”
To learn more about how we're supporting Australian cricket, visit: commbank.com.au/cricket
