The Hockeyroos and Kookaburras are competing in an Indigenous kit at the 2026 Hockey World Cup, organised by the International Hockey Federation -FIH-. Created by artist Mya Damon with a contribution from Olympic champion Nova Peris, the kit is being worn by Australia’s women’s and men’s national teams during the tournament in Belgium and the Netherlands, taking the players’ stories, origins and cultural connections onto the international stage.
The initiative did not begin with this World Cup. Hockey Australia unveiled its first Indigenous kit in 2020 during a themed FIH Pro League round in Perth against Argentina, before incorporating it as one of its national teams’ two official playing kits. Its appearance at the World Cup is part of a broader development in Australian sport: designs initially reserved for individual commemorative occasions have since appeared at world championships, Olympic Games and throughout international competition calendars.
A map on the kit
Under the theme ‘Every Design, A Story’, the centre of the artwork depicts a meeting place where the Hockeyroos and Kookaburras come together. The image represents the relationship between the two teams and the communities that make up Australian hockey. For Damon, the kit also provides an opportunity to share her culture and use art “as a tool of education” before an international audience.
The colours refer to the ocean and the relationship between land, sea and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. That journey continues through the footsteps featured across the skirts and shorts, representing where the players come from, the steps they have taken to reach the national team and the path still ahead of them. “The way that I like to view Indigenous art is like a map,” Damon explained, describing how these works document landscapes, ceremonies, fauna, flora and stories passed down through generations.
A story for every athlete
Every member of both national teams has the name of the First Nations Country they represent or feel particularly connected to incorporated into their kit. Country does not simply refer to a place of birth or residence, but expresses a cultural, spiritual and ancestral relationship with the land and its Traditional Owners. Wiradjuri is one of the names displayed on the kits Australia is wearing at the World Cup.
Peris designed the kangaroo symbol, which honours the strength of the Hockeyroos and their connection to community. The figure also represents the continuing journey of both national teams through the animal’s inability to move backwards. “I think we’re able to honour our Indigenous players and also show our connection to our non-Indigenous players,” Damon said of a kit that brings together individual stories and the shared identity of both teams.
From one round to the World Cup
The first kit in 2020 was designed and painted by Peris, the first Indigenous Australian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal, and also incorporated artwork by Nathan Patterson. The occasion extended beyond the playing shirts, with a traditional Welcome to Country, Indigenous dancers and young players from the Cairns Aspire to Be Deadly programme. Hockey Australia also recognised the careers of First Nations internationals including Des Abbott, Joel Carroll, Baeden Choppy and Lorelle Morrissey.
The kit returned in 2021 during National Reconciliation Week, when Wiradjuri player Mariah Williams scored against New Zealand, and was worn again for a First Nations-themed match against Germany in 2022. By 2025, the federation described it as one of its two official kits and was preparing an update through its Reconciliation Action Plan -RAP-, which contains 16 commitments covering relationships, respect, opportunities and governance. The general range unveiled in February 2026 incorporated a design by Kevin Bynder produced with Peris, while the World Cup kit features Damon’s new artwork and a personalised Country acknowledgement for every athlete.
A model adopted across Australia
The Wallabies first wore an Indigenous jersey in 2017 and used a design by Dennis Golding at the 2019 Rugby World Cup honouring the 14 Indigenous players who had represented the national team by that point. Cricket followed a similar path: the national teams began wearing Indigenous kits in 2020, the men’s side took one to the 2022 T20 World Cup and, since 2023, Cricket Australia has incorporated ‘Walkabout Wickets’, by Aunty Fiona Clarke, into the men’s and women’s kits across every international format.
The Diamonds competed at the 2023 Netball World Cup in ‘Ganurra’, an artwork by Alkina Edwards that introduced First Nations art to their kit for the first time. The Australian Olympic Committee -AOC- incorporated ‘Walking Together’ at Tokyo 2020 and extended Indigenous artwork across its competition and delegation range for Paris 2024. In 2025, Football Australia unveiled the first national-team collection created by a First Nations artist, Reko Rennie, and adopted it across the Matildas, the Socceroos and its other national sides.
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