You won’t believe how the Matilda’s jerseys featuring team flags are customised for each game

Keen observers of big sports games will notice the player jerseys are often customised to the specific game being played, but I bet you won’t believe just how it’s done.

Big sports teams, like your favourite NRL club or even national teams like the Australian Cricket Team or of course our beloved Matildas, will run onto the field wearing what looks like the same Jersey as the last game, but in fact there are custom markings on the jersey.

At the FIFA Women’s World Cup this month I noticed the Matilda’s Jersey’s featured a small set of flags for each of the teams underneath the Aussie crest. Now for the first three Group Stage games you’d think ok the jersey maker Nike would do that in advance, but then you think about how little notice they have of these knockout stage matches and wonder just how they could turn around an Australia v France jersey for example.

Well, hold the phone, and stop the presses. It’s all credit to Matilda’s Equipment Manager Holly-Lace Ayton and her crafty skills at work.

This TikTok came up in my “For You” feed last night, and I immediately recognised the Cricut EasyPress mini but her use of the #Cricut hashtag made me realise it wasn’t just the press Holly-Lace was using!

Turns out those flags, those words listing the game, and even those arm patches – they are all printed out on Cricut paper, cut and then pressed like they were done at the jersey factory!

I know it’s a simple thing, but for those of us living with a Cricut or perhaps we should be called Cricut husbands, this is pretty cool!

You could buy your own Matilda’s Jersey and if you were game, and crafty enough, make your own specific match embellishment. Pretty cool.

Let’s hope Holly-Lace Ayton has her work cut out for her for the rest of this week not just getting tomorrow night’s Jerseys ready but also making some for the Final too. Go Matildas!