Australia’s national soccer teams marked a historic milestone this week with the release of the first-ever national team kits designed by a First Nations artist.
The kits were released on Friday, February 21, and made their on-field debut the same day when the women’s national team wore the home kit in a 4-0 loss to Japan in the SheBelieves Cup. They were designed by renowned Kamilaroi artist Reko Rennie, an interdisciplinary First Nations artist whose work was recently featured in a major retrospective exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) in Melbourne.
Both the home and away kits, manufactured by Nike, feature a design from one of the paintings from the NGV exhibition. The pattern is one commonly found in First Nations message sticks, which were used to pass messages between communities and share stories. “At the core of the Collection is a message of connection and unity, reflected through First Nations design elements and a modern take on Australia’s national colours,” Football Australia says in its announcement.
Following Australian tradition, the home kit is predominantly gold, with green zigzags of varying tones across the front. Side panels that continue under the arm are dark green, as are the sleeve cuffs and crew neck collar. A panel on the back of the shirt is solid gold for name and number legibility.
The away kit, meanwhile, is predominantly black with a pattern of chevrons — some pink and some fading from green to gold — in each side panel. Pink is one of Rennie’s signature colours, which he uses “to represent a modern interpretation of the ochre found in First Nations art.” The collar and sleeve cuffs are neon green, and the national team crest on the left chest is rendered in one-color white.
“It’s been incredible to work on these kits, connecting the game I love, First Nations culture and the athletes and fans who make up the Australian football community.
“It’s a huge achievement and it’s so wild that I’ve had this opportunity and I’m representing my community. If someone had told 12-year-old Reko, a diehard football fan, that one day I’d have this opportunity, I would have never believed them!”
— Reko Rennie
Both kits also have an representation of the Australian Aboriginal flag printed inside the collar.
The home jersey is paired with solid dark green shorts, while the away jersey is paired with black shorts that also have the chevron pattern down the sides.
“More than just a jersey, this kit is a powerful symbol of Australia’s footballing identity – seamlessly blending First Nations storytelling with cutting-edge performance innovation. It ensures that when our teams take the field, they do so in a design that honours both our rich cultural heritage and our bold ambitions on the global stage.”
— James Johnson, Football Australia CEO
A new goalkeeper kit was also released on Friday, which is bright blue and gets lighter toward the middle thanks to light blue vertical stripes that increase in thickness. The back is solid blue, and tapered light blue panels go down the sides.
In the near future, the Australian women’s national team will wear the new kits for the remainder of the SheBelieves Cup — their next match is Sunday, February 23, against the United States — while the men’s team will wear them in their Round 3 AFC Asian Qualifiers coming up in March.
