Volleyball World announces return of Equal Jersey campaign

Volleyball World is setting the standard for gender balance in team sports with the announcement of the return of the Equal Jersey campaign at the 2023 Volleyball Nations League (VNL). 

Volleyball World is a new partnership between the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) and CVC Capital Partners (a Luxembourg-based French private equity and investment advisory firm with approximately US$133 billion of assets under management) aimed at driving growth, innovation, and investment in volleyball around the globe.

The Equal Jersey campaign will features player activations during the semi-finals, third-place match and VNL Finals in Arlington, Texas (Women’s Finals, 12th-16th July) and Gdansk, Poland (Men’s Finals, 19th-23rd July). In each of these matches, one player per team will proudly wear the Equal Jersey until the end of the first set.

Building on the success of the previous editions, the Equal Jersey initiative aims to celebrate the sport's status as a global leader in gender-equality.

With equal interest from both women and men in play, a gender-balanced fanbase, and equal prize money, volleyball stands out as the most gender-equal team sport globally.

Volleyball World Chief Executive Finn Taylor notes “Volleyball is leading the way in gender equality in team sports and Volleyball World is proud to celebrate this. The Equal Jersey symbolises and showcases our commitment to inspire the volleyball community and beyond to embrace equality and inclusivity.”

Continuing the tradition of giving back to the volleyball community, Volleyball World has partnered with Let's Keep The Ball Flying (LKTBF) for the Equal Jersey campaign.

As part of this collaboration, LKTBF and Volleyball World will work with teams to donate equipment to grassroots volleyball projects in Thailand and the Philippines following the VNL. In addition, LKTBF will work with the Philippine National Volleyball Federation and local ambassadors to host volleyball sessions for various grassroots projects in the country.

Equal Jersey ambassador and member of USA women’s national team Haleigh Washington added “I am proud to be part of a sport that embraces equality. The Equal Jersey represents the shared values and collective efforts that make volleyball a shining example of inclusivity and fairness."

Volleyball World’s goal is to create an integrated ecosystem connecting all volleyball stakeholders (fans, athletes, corporate partners) together through both digital and live events.

Volleyball is the fourth most popular sport globally, with more than 800 million fans and high participation across the world.

Speaking with Asia Sponsorship News, Paul Poole Managing Director at Paul Poole (South East Asia) Co., Ltd. The Sponsorship Experts noted that Thailand is Volleyball’s fastest growing market and was one of the reasons Women’s Volleyball Nations League (VNL) was brought to Bangkok in June 2023.

Poole added that there was also encouraging growth in Philippines, Hong Kong and South Korea as well as in Indonesia and India.

Images. Credit: Volleyball World