It is a ground-breaking agreement that represents Nike’s continued commitment to Women’s Football.

The synergies and ambitions of both organisations to continue to break down barriers for female athletes were clear from the start of discussions.

Alongside getting ‘best in class’ apparel for the players, Nike & Durham Women will look to support local community projects with more girls playing football and chasing the ultimate dream.

The agreement, which begins for the 2023/24 season, will be serviced by industry experts KitKing and their new female-focused brand KitQueen.

As part of the new deal, Nike will be the exclusive providers of all Durham Women’s match kits and training wear at all age groups – while there will be a replica provision for supporters.

It is the latest strong brand partnership agreed by the club as they continue their preparations for the 2023/24 Barclays Women’s Championship season, which kicks-off on the final weekend of August.

Commenting on the exciting agreement, Mark Donnelly of Durham Women said: “We’re absolutely delighted to begin this partnership with Nike.

“To have one of the leading brands in the world approach us and want to work with us for the long-term is a real testament to our continued growth and presence in the women’s game.

“We can’t wait for this partnership to grow and develop, and we know our fans will love the new kits that we will be revealing with Nike soon.”

Parisha Patel, Chief Consumer Officer at Kitking and Co-Founder of KitQueen, added: “The partnership with Nike and Durham Women FC through KitQueen is a great example of how we are working with Nike to enhance the profile and experience of Her team sports through teamwear that supports, engages, and drives performance of female athletes on and off the pitch.”

The design of Durham Women’s 2023/24 Nike home kit has been confirmed and will be revealed in the coming weeks.

To find out more about Durham Women, visit durhamwfc.co.uk.

With thanks to Durham Women FC

The new Nike kits, both home and away, will be donned by the squad as they prepare to mount their campaign at the finals in France this summer.

Fran Kirby wearing the new away kit.

Fresh from victory in the SheBelieves Cup, Phil Neville’s side will first sport the home version in their meeting with Canada at Manchester City’s Academy Stadium on Friday 5 April and throughout their ‘Road to France Series’ fixtures.

The Lionesses’ new kits have been designed by Nike with unity in mind, tying the team to the country at large.  A fresh take on the traditional white kit, the 2019 England Women’s home look is accented by dark red cuffs.  The socks debut a custom hand-drawn print for the Lionesses, highlighting specific flora native to the counties and regions of England which combine together to represent the entire country.

Though used sparingly on the home kit, this pattern forms the basis — covering both shirt and socks — for a brilliant new articulation of England’s classic red away strip.  Rendered in a dark red crush, a unique darker shade exclusively for the women’s team, the kit incorporates the St. George’s Cross on the shirt and a tonal crest unique to the Lionesses.

Baroness Sue Campbell, The FA’s director of women’s football, believes the introduction of the new kits demonstrates how far the women’s game has come on the world stage.

She said: “It’s the first time our women’s team have had their own unique and exclusive kits which is a real marker of progress and an indicator of how much the profile of the women’s game has grown in this country.

“We are all looking forward to the World Cup and I know the players can’t wait to wear the new kits.”

Forward Fran Kirby said: “It is great to see kits designed specifically with us in mind. The home kit seems really classic while the pattern of the away is exciting and new.”

Looking ahead to the tournament, captain Steph Houghton added: “We have gone close a couple of times now and the response has been amazing.  It feels like there is genuine momentum behind the team, bigger and bigger with each major tournament we play, and another successful summer can really help push women’s football to the next level.”

Courtesy of the FA

Shanice van de Sanden (Photo: Getty Images)

Nike has become the latest global brand to show its support for UEFA Women’s Football by becoming the official match ball supplier for competitions including the UEFA Women’s Champions League and UEFA Women’s EURO 2021 and an official partner of the Together #WePlayStrong campaign.

Hot on the heels of Visa, the payments technology company, becoming the first-ever main sponsor of UEFA Women’s Football in a seven-year deal, Nike has reiterated its commitment to the growth of the game by backing UEFA’s five-year plan to cement football as the leading female team sport in Europe.

Nike will also provide exclusive use of their official match ball to all UEFA Women’s Football competitions, including the UEFA Women’s Champions League, UEFA Women’s EURO, UEFA European Women’s Under-19 and Under-17 Championships and UEFA Women’s Futsal EURO.

The partnership will last up to and including the 2021 UEFA Women’s EURO in England and as part of the deal, Nike will design a bespoke match ball for exclusive use in women’s competitions, creating yet more distinction and creative opportunity for the game.

“We are delighted to have such a prestigious global brand such as Nike, who are committed to equality within sport and renowned for empowering female athletes all over the world,” said Nadine Kessler, UEFA’s head of women’s football.

“Becoming the official match ball supplier and supporter of UEFA Women’s Football across our competitions and campaigns, including Together #WePlayStrong, not only sends a powerful message that the game is now being judged and supported on its own merits, it underlines also its important milestones beyond the field of play.

Petronella Ekroth (Photo: Getty Images)

“We took the step of separating the rights and partnerships from the men’s game, because at UEFA, we believe in it and with exactly the same belief and continuous commitment for the women’s game, we will aim to reach new heights together with Nike.

“We are jointly committed, using the same passion to evolve women’s football and inspire more people to enjoy the sport, whether they are watching or playing.”

The announcement is another significant step forward for the commercialisation of the women’s game across Europe, since UEFA took the bold step of breaking down the traditional sports sponsorship model by unbundling the sponsorship rights from the men’s game.

The move was designed to accelerate the growth of women’s football competitions and get more girls and women playing football by creating new offerings, which in turn would help support UEFA’s five-year strategic plan to make football the number one sport among girls and women across Europe.

“Nike and UEFA share a common ambition, and that is for women’s football to realise its enormous potential,” said Bert Hoyt, Nike’s VP/GM EMEA. “UEFA’s competitions represent the elite of club and international football and through our unparalleled innovation and support of the women’s game from elite to grassroots level, we will grow football for the next generation of young female players.”

Courtesy of Frame PR on behalf of UEFA Together #WePlayStrong

Today’s announcement cements Nike as both England Netball’s supplier and strategic partner to support the continued growth of the game in the UK. With over 1.4 Million women and girls playing netball every season, it’s the biggest female participation sport in the country.

Joanna Adams, CEO of England Netball, says: “This is yet another incredible moment for netball, and we’re delighted to be joining the Nike family. England Netball and Nike have the shared vision of empowering women and girls in sport and we hope that together we can support the Vitality Roses on their journey to becoming the top-ranked netball team in the world.”

“This partnership is a complete game changer for the sport and we are looking forward to working with Nike to bring netball into a new era”, Joanna adds.

“We are delighted to announce our partnership with England Netball”, says David Carmont, VP/GM, Nike EMEA/WEST, “Netball is one of the most participated female sports in the UK and it’s time to acknowledge athletes* playing it. We are committed to using our global voice to elevate Netball athletes and inspire girls and women in England to play more.”

The Vitality Roses will showcase their new Nike netball performance kit for the first time during the three-match Vitality Netball International Series against Uganda from 27 November – 2 December.

*if you have a body, you’re an athlete

Courtesy of England Netball