Football Ferns Ali Riley, Annalie Longo and Hannah Wilkinson have been in the spotlight in Paris today as Nike unveiled their 14 national team kits for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Fans got an early glimpse of what some of their favourite players will wear for the global event that will be staged in nine cities across France from 7 June to 7 July.

Jerseys for the United States, Canada, China, South Africa, Australia, Chile, France, The Netherlands, South Korea, England, Nigeria, Brazil, New Zealand and Norway are all made by Nike. They will design the kits for 14 of the 24 teams competing at the FIFA Women's World Cup.  

Hannah Wilkinson said the Nike World Cup kit launch was an "incredible experience".

"I've never felt more empowered as a female footballer," said Wilkinson, who is recovering from an ACL injury.  "I was so exceptionally proud to wear the Fern. It was also such an honor to share the room with such world class footballers." 

Ali Riley, the captain of the Football Ferns, said it was a special experience. 

"It was such an empowering event for women, I felt like a superhero standing on that stage surrounded by some of the best athletes in the world. I hope such a big event focused on women is a sign of the times. Nike did a great job celebrating its World Cup teams," she said.  

For the past three years, Nike has focused attention on how best to fit the female form for football. While Nike has been a staple on pitches worldwide since the mid-'90s, players evolve, styles change and technologies emerge that help Nike craft the modern look of the game. 

“It’s relatively simple to design a kit that fits well during the national anthems, but Nike’s focused on a kit that moves with the body through the most athletic of motions,” Cassie Looker, Nike women’s football apparel lead, said in the company’s news release revealing the kits.

Riley will lead New Zealand into its fourth consecutive world tournament this June, where the Football Ferns will wear kits that celebrate New Zealand’s endemic Silver Fern.

In Māori legend, the silver fern represents strength, resistance and power. These traits relate to the unique underside of the tree’s fronds that reflect under moonlight, creating something akin to a natural nightlight. Thus, they have been celebrated for guiding travellers.

On the kit a near photo-realistic graphic of the fond features on each sleeve, creating a clean and modern aesthetic.

“Having a kit design that reflects strength, resistance and power captures exactly what we will be tapping into this June as we once again take our football to the world stage," said Riley. "Heading into our fourth world tournament, we know what we have to get done, and we are confident we can prepare and perform to make our country proud.

"All black and all white kits are so classic. I love the clean look combined with the fern and southern cross details. I think we look strong and beautiful in these kits."  

Longo added: "It's a huge honour every time I put it on. The Fern has a lot of detail and history." 

Wilkinson said of the Nike kit: "I love that the Fern is the primary feature. It reflects our strength, our pride and our special connection to New Zealand as a country. Most of all, it signifies our 'For the Fern' philosophy within our team. We play for ourselves, for one another, for our families, for our country - For The Fern. It is always such an honour." 

The first step toward the 2019 fit began with the athletes. Nike’s design team met with professional footballers from a variety of countries to hear firsthand what players were looking for in a future fit. They learned that a V-neck is preferable, provided it’s not too deep — just deep enough to easily and quickly slide the head (and hair) through. They heard that draw cords and side-seams on the shorts can be a distraction, that sleeves needn’t be overly short to be considered feminine, that the rise of the shorts makes all the difference and so much more. 

Nike consulted with the federation kit managers; they compared the sizes players were requesting against the sizes their measurements would have dictated in the kits of that time, and they discovered a disparity. Generally speaking, the players were requesting shorts a size smaller and shirts a size larger than what their measurements would indicate.

“Our male footballers prefer a very fitted — almost tight — shirt; they say it makes them feel like a superhero,” explains Looker. “But that’s not how it makes our female footballers feel, and we want them to have the shirt that is right for them without having to size up to get it.”

The Football Ferns will play the Netherlands, Canada and Cameroon in the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Article added: Tuesday 12 March 2019