The Caltex Socceroos will go into their upcoming crucial qualification matches wearing a new playing kit which will feature the latest in high performance athletic wear innovations as well as a design that draws inspiration from the diverse Australian landscape.
In addition, the Westfield Matildas will also wear the identical playing kits as their male counterparts, but in a female cut, as they prepare for the upcoming Rio Games.
The new all-Gold home kit sports a subtle graphic on the jersey representing the iconic Wave Rock in Western Australia. The dark obsidian blue away kit celebrates the country’s surf culture and further accentuates its spectacular coastline with a unique jersey pattern.
The shirts and shorts also have stripes down the side, green for home and blue for away. These stripes expand when the player is in motion to maximize ventilation and reveal bold flashes of underlying yellow.
In the home kit, green socks showcase a linear gold graphic on the calf while the away kit's socks feature the same colors inverted.
The new kit has been created to give players the very latest Nike innovations in fabric construction, performance technology, moisture management and environmental sustainability.
German-based striker Mathew Leckie said of the kit: “From the moment I tried on the new shirt during the design process, I could tell that it is one of the lightest playing shirts that I have ever worn, which helps our performance, especially when we play in some the hot conditions around the world. I can’t wait to wear it on Thursday night for the first time.”
Westfield Matildas star Steph Catley echoes Leckie’s comments, also stating it was a breakthrough for the Matildas and Socceroos to step out in identical strips.
“The design and technology used in this new strip is fantastic and I know the girls are excited about bringing both National Teams together to wear identical strips,” Catley said. “It is always an honour to pull on the national team jersey and this latest version will definitely go down as one of the most iconic national team jerseys as the first strips worn both by the Socceroos and Matildas.”
NIKE DRI-FIT TECHNOLOGY
• Nike Dri-FIT technology draws sweat away from the body to the exterior of the shirts and shorts, where it quickly evaporates. This allows players to perform at their best by remaining cooler, drier and more comfortable.
• The laser-cut ventilation holes and mesh panels in key areas of the kit are designed to improve performance by increasing air circulation to the players’ bodies and helping regulate their temperatures.
• The jersey is crafted using mesh fabric that makes up the full front and back panels of the shirt, increasing airflow and facilitating enhanced movement.
SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION
• Nike places sustainable innovation at the heart of its kits through the use of recycled polyester, delivering unrivalled performance and lower environmental impact.
• Each piece of the kit – the shirt, shorts and socks – is constructed with recycled polyester, which is made from recycled plastic bottles that are melted down to produce fine yarn. Each kit is made using an average of 16 recycled plastic bottles.
• By using recycled polyester, Nike is also reducing the energy consumed in the manufacturing process by up to 30 percent compared to virgin polyester.
As part of a global NIKE strip launch, the Caltex Socceroos home and away playing strip and the Westfield Matildas Home playing kit (female cut version) will be available from 24 March by logging onto shop.footballaustralia.com.au or at the upcoming matches in Adelaide and Sydney.
