Kookaburras Make History With Rainbow Socks In Field Hockey Showdown
The Kookaburras, Australia’s national men’s hockey team, took to the field against England for a match in the International Hockey Federation (FIH) Pro League recently, but it was the team’s uniforms that made a statement. In a simple yet powerful act of solidarity for Pride Month, the entire team wore rainbow socks, a story first highlighted by Dean Accuri at Qnews. (For our readers in North America, in Australia and other countries, hockey refers to the fast-paced sport of field hockey.)
This gesture was a clear message to the global hockey community that inclusion matters, even at the highest level of professional sport. As the team’s official Instagram stated, they are proud to have a culture where acceptance is a core part of who they are and what they stand for. For one player, the moment was deeply personal.
“I almost cried.”
Davis Atkins, an openly gay member of the Kookaburras, shared just how much the team’s support meant to him. “Being able to run out onto the pitch with pride socks together as a team was something truly special,” he wrote on Instagram. “The inclusivity, the support, and the joy in this group made it all feel surreal.”
Before the match, Atkins admitted to feeling a nervous energy. “It’s hard to describe the feeling,” he said, speaking with Hockey Australia. “I had this nervous, anxious feeling of butterflies before the match, that this really means something to me. It means something to so many people… I almost cried at the end.”
“You can’t be what you can’t see”
The phrase “you can’t be what you can’t see” is a powerful one, and it underpins Atkins’ drive to be a visible role model. After being accidentally outed to his coach in 2021, he decided to use his position to be the mentor he never had. “If I was somebody looking at myself,” he told Outsports, “I think it would be pretty inspiring to have someone who’s going up the ranks who’s openly gay and talking about it.”
His experience highlights a wider issue. A foundational Australian study on the topic, Free To Exist, shows that 53% of LGBTQIA+ young people have witnessed discrimination in sports, creating a barrier to participation. This is why visible displays of support are so important. Atkins himself notes that when he can show his true self in hockey, he plays better.
He told his teammates how much their simple act of wearing socks allowed him to flourish. “If I had grown up and seen my heroes run out in rainbow socks, that would have been immense,” Atkins reflected. It would have shown him “that people at the top level are like me.”
In a fitting end to a significant day, the Kookaburras defeated England 4 to 3.
