Breaking barriers: How WUKA’s Tackle Anything campaign ss changing grassroot sports

At WUKA, we strongly believe that no girl should have to skip sports because of her period. Our Tackle Anything campaign isn’t about making headlines with national level sports partnerships, but rather supporting thousands of girls in grassroots sports.

Girls in Sports

Many girls are simply taught about the menstrual cycle from a biological perspective in primary and secondary school without truly understanding the impact their hormone cycle has whilst doing sports.

With 71% of girls avoiding sports and physical activities on their periods according to Women in Sport, we see the figure rise to 78 per cent amongst girls who drop out of sports.

The statistics are shocking:

• 43 per cent of girls drop out of sport after primary school
• Moreover, 1 in 3 children leave primary school unable to swim, a statistic expected to worsen without intervention

A period should never be the reason a girl stops doing her favourite sport. What if we could change this?

That’s why WUKA are stepping up to ensure that we equip grassroot communities with knowledge, period underwear and the confidence to change that.

Why Grassroots?

Because this is where it all begins.

Grassroots clubs are where girls take their first shot, their first sprint, their first “I did it!” moment.

These early years shape how they see themselves in sport,  whether they keep going or quietly drop out. The support, accessibility and confidence they get here will change their entire future in sport.

But here’s the reality: grassroots sport doesn’t have the money or resources the pros do. Changing rooms might not have a single bin for pads or tampons.

Period products? Often nowhere in sight. And while so many coaches care deeply, some, especially male coaches, just haven’t been given the tools to talk about menstrual health in a way that makes girls feel comfortable and supported.

Most people forget that grassroot sports rely on volunteers.

The big sponsorship deals? They chase headlines and high-profile athletes.

But those deals forget about the muddy pitches, the cold swimming pools, and the tiny sports halls where the real make-or-break moments happen. That’s why WUKA’s going straight to the source.

Instead of working top-down, we’re working ground-up, giving local girls across the UK the kit, education and most importantly the confidence they need to play and tackle anything.

No girl should ever have to choose between her favourite sport and her period. That’s why we’re supplying grassroots clubs with free WUKA period underwear for thousands of youth players.

And we’re not stopping there, with Hannah Miley MBE, 3x Olympian and Commonwealth Champion, we’re bringing period education to coaches, players and parents, so the whole team knows how to support girls on and off the pitch.

We’re not creating transactional partnerships, we’re creating authentic environments to break period stigma in the community.

We’re normalising period education and kits in sports to build trust and empowerment.

Because period-inclusive sport isn’t a luxury. It’s a basic right. And every player,  from the Sunday league striker to the future Olympian,  deserves it.

The Journey So Far:

So far, we’ve been able to support over 1,600 girls from grassroots 4 different sports: football, rugby, netball and taekwondo across England and Scotland.

Each sport discipline comes with its own unique challenges when it comes to tackling periods.

With the runs in football, the dresses provided in netball, the physical intensity required in rugby and the white dobok worn in taekwondo, each athlete needs tailored period solutions.

Tackle Anything isn’t just a one-off campaign. It’s a commitment we’ve made to ensure that girls are fully equipped on their period so they don’t have to drop out.

By providing multi-various support to grassroots clubs, we’re creating a future where no girl is sidelined by her period.

This is just the beginning.