Giants of Argentine football, Racing Club have come out with a brand-new kit design that is meant to honour breastfeeding mothers while making it easier for them to nourish their young while donning the club colours.
In a first, Racing’s Blue-and-white-striped home shirt by kit manufacturer Kappa has been worked upon to aid women nurse when going to matches or elsewhere by producer and designer Lidia Navarro.
“Breastfeeding in public is not 100% accepted” stated the club in its video that features various women talking about the challenges currently being faced by nursing women in a public setting.
As further stated by the club, no one should have to hide while nursing their babies because it is an essential activity that should not prevent women from going to el Cilindro on a matchday or from pursuing certain activities or careers.
Taking what can be described as a progressive step by one of Argentina’s ‘big five’ clubs, this should only help in breaking down stereotypes in the circle of football, if not in regular walks of life.
El Primer Grande, or ‘The First Big Club’ have also taken a pioneering step in choosing not to patent the design so as to enable sports apparel makers worldwide to follow suit and encourage further inclusion in the beautiful game.
The club from Avellaneda, a city in the Buenos Aires Province, is one of the biggest in a country that follows football as religiously as any.
Racing Club are one of the most successful clubs in continental South America as well in terms of records and trophies, having won the Copa Libertadores once as well as the Intercontinental Cup, the precursor to the FIFA Club World Cup.
They have won the Argentine Primera División 18 times and fill out the Estadio Presidente Perón on most matchdays, often making it an occasion to behold with their boisterous atmosphere.
La Academia also has teams in a whole host of other sports such as basketball, beach soccer, volleyball, and many more in other disciplines as well.
Considering the size of the club, this move certainly holds the potential to bring societal change for the better due to the huge amount of reverence it has and it shouldn’t be long before nursing in public is normalised.
The club have announced that the special kit should soon be available in their online retail stores.
