Non-White Underpants: Wimbledon changes it’s dress-code!

Thank Goodness: 100 years later and female athletes can peacefully play Wimbledon while on their periods.

"I had to skip my period around Wimbledon for the reason that I didn't want to worry about bleeding through, as we already have enough other stress" - Daria Saville.

London - Following the 2022 Wimbledon Championships, an increasing number of athletes started reporting the inconveniences of having to perform tennis while having their periods, and on top of that having to wear the mandatory all-white outfit (in place since the 1870's). Nonetheless, this issue is not recent one, as there has been a quiet but ongoing debate for the past decade with several stars taking a stance against the All England Club's rules in the past. In 2013, tennis legend, Serena Williams, competed with colorful underwear which resulted in Wimbledon releasing an updated dress code the following year, forcing all participating athletes to wear white underwear, both in practice and matches.

The question therefore remained: should women be forced to choose between playing in one of the world’s biggest sports tournament, having their periods at risk of leaking, or even more drastically, having to skip their periods all together? The answer is: NO!. First, they should have the freedom to individually decide how to deal with their period, but never be told how to do so. Secondly, and most importantly, they should be listened to when expressing their opinions on the subject and how best to deal with it.

In Football:

But this is not just a debate on the tennis courts. Women in football, a sport that is widely televised, have also made their stance on the topic clear. The women at Manchester City and the England national team in particular have come up with a collective solution that suits them and demanded a change in uniform. Instead of white shorts they will be provide alternatives for all kits (home, away, third), allowing them at least to play football without the fear of leaks. All squad members of a female sports team go through their periods once a month, and at varying times, making this change a positive one.

Personal Experience:

From a personal point of view, and as a rugby amateur player , I have also witnessed mishaps which could have simply been avoided with compassion and understanding from the sports’ decision-makers. A recent example was at one of my recent matches, one of my new teammates contacted me the night before the game informing me that she was on her period and asking me if I thought playing with black shorts would be accepted, knowing that the club's uniform is a blue shirt matched with white pants. Sympathizing with her situation, and knowing that we were a lower division team, I hoped it wouldn't be an issue and informed her of such but still advised her to bring the white shorts in case, and to add colored underpants in her bag.

I should have known; the morning of as we were on the field I asked her what happened and she informed me that the club's directives had refused the black shorts, stating that the sponsors visible on the white uniform would not be happy. As in most situations, making money should not be more important than looking out for an individual player's health and well-being. Unfortunately, that day, my teammate's period leaked through her tampon, underpants and white shorts forcing her to walk off the pitch.It is difficult to accept that women are not heard or believed when they inform of period leak possibilities. Again, what should the teammate have done? Refuse to play in her debut game, or go against the club's rules?

Society:

And then there is the bigger issue: society. 'The Athletic' Journal has asked whether the real problem isn't that the fear of embarrassment has made women think about their periods more than they should; that they should think about it with pride, like men do when bleeding on the field.

It definitely plays a part, but this comment is senseless: what about in the meantime? Firstly, no human being likes having a stain (even less so red) visible on their clothes and secondly because it asks women, once again, to make an effort not to be embarrassed, instead of making sure their needs are met. And then there are comments such as "leakage or stains are preventable, just double up on match days". It is widely known that period products, such as sanitary pads or the pill, are not only very expensive and not affordable to everyone, especially within an amateur environment but also doubling up those type of materials could prove very discomforting, especially while running.

What Next:

Women, with the support of men, must first of all take a stance against period stigmas, and secondly fight for the right to decide how to deal with their own monthly flow. It is only in the 21^st century that we are seeing these changes, and in November 2022 that Wimbledon changed their rules, allowing female athletes to compete with dark underpants. An important step towards equal opportunities for men and women alike, yet not enough for women that are imposed rules by directives, often of the opposite gender. Because one must not forget that periods are not just a visual impediment but are physically painful too and can harm an athletes performance. For this reason, some women decide to altogether medically skip them when competing: a personal choice that should not be influenced by whether or not a period stain will appear during competition.