Howard Wins Changemaker Award

Tess Howard has won the Changemaker Award at the Sunday Times Sportswomen of the Year Awards, the award recognises those that have inspired others and used their platforms to create change.

Howard successfully led a campaign for change in female sports kits after research she conducted showed that many women and girls stop playing sport as a result of issues with the clothing. 

England Hockey changed the domestic regulations in September 2022 and earlier this year Nick Pink, alongside the women's team, wrote to the FIH and requested a review of the international kit regulations. After amending its regulations, this summer it was announced that women would have the freedom of choice over their kit and the England women's team were the first to wear a mixture of shorts and skorts at an international event.

The Sportswomen of the Year awards, now in their 36th year, have led the way in recognising and celebrating the outstanding contribution made to sport by women at all levels, from elite to grassroots and community-wide.

On her award, Howard said: "What an absolute honour, it is overwhelming and wonderful. Thank you to our hockey community for all their support, I’m so proud of how we have evolved our game to be more inclusive and we must stand by that as a marker of the future of our sport. 

"A huge thank you to my teammates and England Hockey, we did something incredibly special in the summer, choice is everything.

"A last thank you to the Women’s Sports Trust for empowering my athlete voice, and to my professors at Durham University who encouraged me to publish my undergrad research. This is for everyone who’s ever felt uncomfortable or dropped out because of sports kit: the movement for inclusive sportswear has arrived."