Zena Sport Co-Founder Donna Johnson: “We are empowering a new generation where protective wear will be an essential part of any girl’s kit”

Zena Sport

Zena Sport provides the most advanced female breast and rib protection for contact sports, backed by four years’ worth of research and development through the maximum level of sports science tested by Deakin University to greatly reduce the impact across the upper torso with up to 75% of the force being absorbed by the vest.

The vest has also been established to suit the needs of teenagers right through to senior professionals, designed to be worn underneath the playing kit and without visibility.

Speaking with Soccerscene, Zena Sport Co-Founder Donna Johnson shares the importance of protective gear, particularly as more and more women and girls play sport – leading up to the FIFA Women’s World Cup.

What inspired you to create your protective gear for women involved in contact sports?

Donna Johnson: The idea for Zena came about over a coffee with a friend.  Her daughters had just started playing football and we were discussing injuries that had occurred over the weekend.

It concerned me that adolescent girls were playing high impact sport at such a critical stage of their physical development with o form of chest protection.  Given females are anatomically built differently I began doing some research into breast injuries in sport and possible products on the market.

To my surprise there was very little research available and no suitable products on the market. I did my own research project and found that breast injury was in fact occurring and there was a need for a protective garment.

I then spent the next two years designing and developing a vest that was lightweight, comfortable, non-restrictive and protective.  The Final Result – ‘Zena Z!’ An impact protection vest for females playing sport.

How can your vest be of assistance to young girls or women taking up soccer?

Donna Johnson: First and foremost, the vest is designed to reduce the risk of breast and rib injury. It also provides confidence and support for the athlete knowing they have an element of protection.

Impact comes in many forms. It can be diving for a ball and having contact with the ground, it can come from stray elbows, ball hitting the chest, tackling etc. so the vest provides a barrier between the chest and the impact. The vest is comfortable and non-restrictive. It helps empower the athlete to play with confidence.

Many teenagers drop out of sport in their adolescent years, so we want to keep girls active and keep them in sport.

You have a number of partnerships across multiple sports and leagues, are you looking to expand your network in soccer, particularly with the build up towards the Women’s World Cup?

Donna Johnson: We are working really hard across all sports, particularly soccer to develop partnerships and expand our network.

For us, it’s really about education and awareness.  Breast trauma does exist and over 50% of female athletes report suffering from some form of injury to breast.  We are yet to know the long-term impact of breast traumas.

Soccer participation numbers are growing, especially for female participants so we really want to give these girls female specific products to enhance performance.

The Women’s World Cup is only a few weeks away and it’s a really exciting time for women in sport.  Young girls are going to be able to see women on the world stage and dream of doing a similar thing.  It shows that anything is possible!

In a previous article we featured Melissa Barbieri who tested your vest before a launch. With the number of collisions and impact goalkeepers have, how are they supported with your product?

Donna Johnson: Goal keepers put their bodies on the line for their team. For female goalkeepers it’s fair to say their breasts and ribs take full impact with the ground when diving to save the ball.

Our vest provides a level of protection to reduce the risk of injury and help with recovery.

Why should a general grassroots or local player utilise your products?

Donna Johnson: Our Zena Z1 vest was so popular that we developed a Youth Vest for girls between eight & 12 years of age.

We are empowering a new generation where protective wear will be an essential part of any girl’s kit.  This is where the youth vest is perfect at grass roots because girls start wearing it in their junior years and just continue to wear it the whole way through. It is part of the education.

Women of all ages playing local soccer should also consider it as we have a number of new mums returning to sport that are breast feeding and this helps with sensitivity.  Women who have suffered with breast cancer or have had surgery.

They can return to sport with a level of comfort knowing they are protected.  Women also have breast implants that can rupture.  As you can see there are a number of reasons why women at grassroots level should be wearing Zena.

Is there anything new on the horizon we can look forward to, or any projects?

Donna Johnson: Watch this space!  We are just in the process of designing and developing our Rugby Vest and then we have a whole product roadmap of female specific products we hope to develop in the future.

Previous ArticleNext Article

Australian Championship set to revolutionise domestic football

Football Australia has unveiled the “Australian Championship,” a groundbreaking new competition that promises to reshape the nation’s football landscape.

Officially launching in October 2025, the Championship will serve as a vital bridge between state-based competitions and the Isuzu UTE A-League Men’s system, bringing clubs, players, and communities closer together.

This announcement comes on the heels of the October confirmation of the National Second Tier (NST) format, marking a significant milestone in Australian football.

The Australian Championship will provide a national platform for clubs and players to showcase their talent while fostering stronger connections with fans and communities across the country.

Competition Format and Vision

The Australian Championship will feature 16 teams competing in a dynamic format designed to balance competitive integrity and fan engagement. The competition will include:

Group Stage: Four groups of four teams playing home-and-away fixtures.

Elimination Finals: The top two teams from each group advancing to knockout rounds.

Grand Final: The inaugural champion to be crowned in December 2025.

This structure highlights Football Australia’s ambition to create an inclusive, exciting, and commercially sustainable competition that celebrates the depth of Australian football talent.

Football Australia Chief Executive Officer James Johnson spoke on the importance of this announcement for the future of Australian football.

“The Australian Championship is much more than a competition – it’s a national celebration of football; uniting proud historic clubs, emerging talent, and inter-generational community connection. It reflects the core values of Australian football: authenticity, opportunity, and ambition,” Johnson said in the press release.

“This competition will complement the A-League, NPL, and Hahn Australia Cup, providing a connected, meaningful pathway for players and fans alike. Today’s brand launch is a statement of our commitment to grow domestic football in Australia and unlock its full potential.”

Founding Clubs and National Representation

The competition will include eight Foundation Clubs with storied histories, such as APIA Leichhardt FC (NSW), Avondale FC (VIC), Marconi Stallions FC (NSW), Preston Lions FC (VIC), South Melbourne FC (VIC), Sydney Olympic FC (NSW), Sydney United 58 FC (NSW), and Wollongong Wolves FC (NSW), representing some of the strongest footballing traditions in the country.

Joining them will be eight Member Federation clubs drawn from the National Premier Leagues (NPL) across all states and territories.

This model ensures representation from every corner of the national football community, giving grassroots and state-level clubs an opportunity to compete on a larger stage.

Core Pillars of the Australian Championship

The Australian Championship aims to unite Australian football under the following key values:

Authenticity: Honouring historic clubs, iconic venues, and long-standing rivalries.

Discovery: Showcasing emerging talent and rising stars from across the nation.

Connection: Strengthening ties between grassroots, state competitions, and professional pathways.

Pride and Belonging: Celebrating football’s ability to bring players, fans, and communities together.

A New Era for Australian Football

With its launch, the Australian Championship is set to redefine the country’s domestic football ecosystem, creating new opportunities for players, clubs, and fans. Football Australia’s initiative reflects a commitment to building a thriving national competition while staying true to the rich heritage and passion that underpin Australian football.

As October 2025 approaches, anticipation will only grow for what promises to be a transformative moment in the nation’s sporting history.

Nick Maikousis on Greek Herald Cup, reviving heritage, and South Melbourne’s future in the NST

South Melbourne FC and Sydney Olympic FC hosted the highly successful second edition of the Greek Herald Cup at Lakeside Stadium.

Thousands of fans poured through the gates to enjoy a vibrant celebration of heritage, culture, and football. With Greek music and food creating a festive atmosphere, the event showcased the rich traditions of both clubs.

The match itself didn’t disappoint, delivering an entertaining 2-1 victory for South Melbourne, highlighted by memorable goals and moments that capped off a fantastic day.

In this exclusive interview with Soccerscene, South Melbourne President Nick Maikousis shares his thoughts on the Greek Herald Cup, the revival of ethnic clubs in Australian football, and the immense potential of the upcoming National Second Tier (NST).

Maikousis reflects on the club’s heritage, the significance of iconic rivalries, and how South Melbourne is poised to thrive in this new era for Australian football.

Theo Athans

What is the origin of the Greek Herald Cup?

Nick Maikousis

It started last year and that was the first time the competition took place. We flew to Sydney for that game. It’s based on the fact that we started to develop a relationship with Sydney Olympic and in particular their President (Damon Hamlin) and CEO (Lawrie McKinna) over the discussions about the National Second Division.

The second division was announced as a standalone competition and we thought let’s get ahead of the game and lets show what two big clubs from Melbourne and Sydney can do and that’s basically how it all came about.

We spent so much time with Olympic and the other National Second Division clubs so we thought let’s get on the forefront of this and start the competition.

T.A.

In your eyes, how successful was the second edition of the Greek Herald Cup especially for the Melbourne Greek community?

N.M.

Yeah, it was certainly a success and given it’s really just a friendly so we can build it up as much as we like but we’re pretty delighted with the attendance.

It’s a difficult time, it’s a couple of weeks out from the season so whilst we really want to give it a good shot, we also don’t want to incur any injuries and as it turned out we had a couple of minor injuries which might affect us in the short term.

It allows us to go back to our roots, played a lot of Greek music on the day and doing things that we have not really done for decades now in terms of acknowledging our heritage.

Given that Football Australia and the various federations have relaxed their stance on ethnic names, it allows us to reach out to our past again. Both South and Olympic represent the same thing, we have different supporters, but we represent the same community so it’s a great opportunity to showcase our heritage.

T.A.

Thinking back to the NSL days, can the NST and NPL ever get back to the passion we saw back then? 

N.M.

I think there’s a couple of stages to the commencement of the competition. Do I think it can get to the heights of the NSL? Look South Melbourne was a powerhouse back then and after the Cup game we had a look at some old footage with the 1984 NSL championship legends as a reunion dinner.

We had a couple of past legends there, including Alan Davidson, who wouldn’t stop talking about the old supporter base, how big and passionate they were and how it lifted them during that time.

So I think during certain fixtures, for example South Melbourne/Preston, will fill Lakeside stadium.

Some of the other games between the Sydney clubs perhaps it won’t be quite as full but I still believe we forecasted around 3,000-4,000 people per game so if we can get to that sort of number I’ll be delighted in the early parts.

It’s a competition that we need to build and we don’t know what it’s going to look like in five years or ten years’ time with the inter relationship between the NST and the A-League. I don’t think anyone quite understands what it is going to look like yet but we all have our own idea on that.

Will it be as big as the old NSL? I doubt it. But certainly there will be some fixtures that will be significant and that’s one of the reasons why I wanted Melbourne Knights to come into the NST. Their history and the original derby in this town would have made it even better.

T.A.

Do you think the South Melbourne and Preston game last year was a showcase into what we could expect out of the NST and its atmosphere?

N.M.

The atmosphere was incredible but not only that, it was a cold Tuesday night out at Reservoir. If you put that fixture on a Friday or Saturday night at Lakeside Stadium, you’d be filling both grandstands easily and you could get up to 10,000 people there so there’s huge potential.

T.A.

Now with the NST, ethnic clubs are back in the mainstream, how important is that for Australian football considering its historical roots?

N.M.

I think what they had done to ban ethnic flags and names was going too far but now that they have relaxed their position in regards to that, it’s a very positive thing.

It allows us to do what we did in the Greek Herald Cup and that is to celebrate our culture proudly from time to time.

Certainly, South Melbourne has evolved over the years as well so let’s not kid ourselves. In my case there’s been four generations following South and two of those generations were born in Australia and we’re all South tragics. So whilst we acknowledge our heritage, we have also moved on past that.

Whilst we have a very big Greek community, its reducing a little bit to how it was and the fact that South is in the NPL, soon the NST, we’ve also got a lot of other clubs have suburban level who are sort of competing with us.

Back when South Melbourne was a powerhouse, you’d find that everyone still had their suburban clubs but I’d say 75% of the Greek suburban clubs also followed South Melbourne.

Unfortunately when South Melbourne dropped divisions outside of the NSL, all of a sudden, we became competitors and that’s never what we wanted. So the NST will help us significantly because people will follow their local clubs and now South Melbourne which is a great opportunity for the community and the club.

If you look at our juniors, the cultural diversity as well is extraordinary, so whilst we respect our heritage, it suggests we have moved on.

T.A.

The NST will bring something fresh because apart from the finals, there isn’t much to play for in NPL so how will that benefit the club?

N.M.

Look the positive thing about this year is that there will be plenty of healthy games like Heidelberg, Oakleigh, Melbourne Victory got promoted and of course Preston is in there as well.

They have replaced teams which didn’t have massive followings so I’m looking forward to quite a few games with great attendances. It’ll be a great season.

Most Popular Topics

Editor Picks

Send this to a friend