Lancaster schoolgirls shortlisted in national contest with rugby kit design

Year 7 Lancaster Girls’ Grammar School pupils Olivia Corvi and Gaia Caramusa entered a design in Get Shirty, which aims to design new livery for Hartlepool Rovers Ladies’ team, so they no longer have to wear men’s strips and will have a kit to covet.

It was selected as one of four finalists from a total of 120 entries from across the country in a national competition conceived by Eden Arts and backed by the Arts Council England and Hartlepool Council.

The initiative is part of the #66 campaign which, through art, aims to unite the communities along the trunk road.

Olivia’s dad Max is a rugby coach with Vale of Lune and Sale Sharks. The 12-year-old, who enjoys netball, hockey, swimming, horse-riding and skiing, spotted the competition in the school’s bulletin.

She said: “We chose to do this design because we looked into Hartlepool’s symbol and it signifies a monkey. We wanted to have a nice clean pattern in the background and a bold image at the front.”

Gaia moved from Berlin to Lancaster in 2016 with her parents’ work. They are both scientific researchers at Lancaster University.

The 12-year-old, who loves athletics and roller-skating, said: “We chose to have a geometric monkey with a red faded background and a long side stripe that crossed over to the shorts.

"We really hope everyone likes the entry and would like to thank our school for encouraging us to do this.”

The girls, who met at the tennis club and now walk to school together, spent their lunch hours in the library conducting their research, supported by the librarian.

To try and attract more votes the girls made posters which they posted around school while their headteacher took to Twitter to further their cause.

If they win they would like to support the Vale of Lune Women’s Rugby U18s team so that they can invest in better equipment.

One of the judges, former Exeter Saracens winger Garnet Mackinder, who is now head of equality and diversity at Sport England and an RFU Council member, said: “It was a very difficult choice. I really enjoyed the process especially the under 16 entries.

“We spent hours looking at the entries and choosing the top four. We went for a mix of fun and Hartlepool’s local heritage.

“It’s a really exciting time for women’s sport with the Rugby World Cup in 2025 and both the Lionesses football team and the Red Roses rugby team doing so well.

“When I was younger there was always a feeling that the women’s game was second place. We always had to fight for the first team pitch and this attitude will not go away overnight.”

Other judges include commercial and operations director for London-based fashion designer Emilia Wickstead Chelsea Power; Hartlepool Ladies Rugby Team captain Danielle Jeffreys-Coulton; Professor of public art practice at the University of Central Lancashire Charles Quick; and Eden Arts director Adrian Lochhead.

Danielle said: “Most kits are designed for men, the colours, the cut, so having a fitted kit that will compliment a lady is very rare to come by. Shirts that have been specifically designed for women will be a massive plus. A kit with a unique design that’s linked to Hartlepool is something we will be very proud of.”

Eden Arts creative producer Abi Barton said everyone had been impressed with the creativity of the competition.

“Aside from the incredible designs, it has generated very deep-rooted conversations about the challenges of female sport,” she said.

To find out more about the finalists visit https://getshirty.uk/the-finalists/

The public vote is live until May 18 and the kit will be manufactured for the start of the season in September. To vote visit www.bit.ly/getshirtyvote