England to wear different ‘unite’ armbands at World Cup

Rachel Steinberg | July 21, 2023

England captain Millie Bright will wear armbands advocating for inclusion, Indigenous people and gender equality in the Lionesses’ respective first three World Cup matches.

Players have the choice of wearing one or more of eight FIFA-sanctioned armbands at this tournament, but not the rainbow OneLove design that sparked the threat of sanctions being issued to countries – including England and Wales – during the 2022 men’s World Cup in Qatar.

Should the Lionesses progress past the group stage, which begins with Saturday’s opener against Haiti, the player-led decision is for their skipper to switch her armband to a new cause for each match.

“As a group, we felt really strongly about all the causes, and we couldn’t separate one from the other. We feel that they are all important and deserve recognition and our support,” said Bright.

“We have only just come to a decision recently as we wanted to take time to process it all and to make sure we spoke collectively.

“Supporting Indigenous people is massively important to us as a team, both staff and players. We wanted to come to this country and respect the past, the present and the future.

“We are aware of the past, but we want to move forward collectively and make the world a better place. It is something that we always pride ourselves on.”

Days after arriving in Australia, England hosted an open training session at the Sunshine Coast Stadium where they were treated to a traditional smoking ceremony – an Aboriginal custom to welcome, wish good luck and ward off bad spirits – led by the Gubbi Gubbi/Kabi Kabi people, who also presented the Lionesses with their official tournament squad numbers.

On Wednesday, the team listened to a talk from Karen Menzies, the first Indigenous player for Australia’s Matildas, about the history of the Aboriginal community and the challenges they face, as well as reparation efforts.

Bright added: “We have been honoured with two ceremonies and to be able to have conversations and educate ourselves a little bit more on the Aboriginal people and everything which comes with the culture is amazing. I think we feel really honoured to have had the opportunity.”