Big, bouncy curls are practically synonymous with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders. So, when rookie recruit Faith Ward, the first New Zealander ever to make the 2025/26 squad, was spotted at training camp sporting a slicked-back ponytail, fans of the viral Netflix series were quick to notice.
Questions soon flooded her comment section, equal parts curiosity and admiration. “We need to know about this ponytail!” one TikTok user pleaded, while another said it was so “Aussie coded” (in reference to our apparent love of a slicked-back look).
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Back in 2016, DCC director Kelli Finglass told People that all cheerleaders “wear their hair down even in rehearsal,” adding that “it’s about the girls being as glamorous as they can.” Kelli has also famously emphasised that a DCC hairstyle must “dance well”.
So when Faith very noticeably wore her hair up in every team photo and TikTok video, it was definitely noteworthy.
After a lot of speculation, fans finally have their answer. While speaking with ABC Perth on Monday, Ward confirmed that her look is one-of-a-kind for the team: “It’s crazy because obviously the DCC hairstyle is out, fluffy, voluminous, luscious, long locks. I’ve broken that stereotype.”
Faith went on to share how this departure from tradition came to be. It all started during a rehearsal, when Kelli Finglass suggested the idea of tying her hair up. “So, I’m in rehearsal one of the days with my hair out and I am, you know, sweating after doing ‘Thunderstruck’,” Ward explained. “She’s looking at me and she’s like, ‘You know what? I really want to see what your hair would look like tied up’.”
Taking the cue, Ward pulled her hair back into an updo — a move that not only worked practically, but also caught the attention of the coaching staff. “I go into uniform fittings and keep my hair up in hopes that she would like it still, and I walk in and she goes, ‘You’re giving Ariana Grande! Like, we need an Ariana Grande moment on the team,'” Ward recalled. Surprised and thrilled by the comparison, Ward responded: “Are you serious right now, Kelli? Like this is so exciting!”
“She’s like, ‘Yeah, but I want your ponytail longer, I want it blonder and then I want to see a cameo day where I prefer you be with your hair out.'”
At the time of the interview, Ward noted that the hairstyle choice wasn’t set in stone just yet — though signs were promising. “So the reason why I haven’t addressed it yet is because I want to wait and see what she has to say as to whether it’s solidified yet,” she said. “So right now, it’s looking very hopeful that I will be a DCC with a ponytail.”
Still, she remains cautious about declaring victory. “But, we still have to keep an open mind to the possibility that I could be going back to be hair out. So we can’t get too excited yet!”
