New research shows racism among sports fans in Australia is still rife. White footy fans need to report racism – otherwise they’re giving a free kick to bigots.
A 2020 training session resulted in the death of NRL player Keith Titmuss. An inquest has recommended several changes to training protocols as a result.
As Australia grapples with a violence against women crisis, major sporting codes are tinkering around the edges of the problem, and plenty more can be done.
Many fans support diversity and inclusivity initiatives in sports but others don’t. New research shows why this happens, and what can be done to garner more widespread support.
From what sports you can watch with an old aerial, to what apps you’ll see when you switch on a new smart TV – sports lovers can expect big changes ahead.
Pundits had suggested a strong World Cup performance was vital for the health of the game. The horror result in France will put even more pressure on the sport to reform to stay relevant.
Daryl Adair, University of Technology Sydney et John Evans, Swinburne University of Technology
While sports bodies are notable advocates of a Voice to parliament, they might want to consider how much of a voice Indigenous athletes have in their own organisation.
No one can say Australian sport is worse off without tobacco ads. We can protect a new generation of young sports fans from harm by following other nations’ lead – and phasing out gambling ads.
Sierra Keung, Auckland University of Technology et Dion Enari, Auckland University of Technology
By choosing to play for their ancestral homes, Pacific footballers might lose the chance of bigger pay checks, but they still win at a cultural level. And the payoff for the game is immense.
While membership of the major political parties has plummeted, footy club membership has soared. So what can the major parties learn from footy clubs about how to grow community support?
In a country that has largely avoided political and cultural hyper-partisanship, the Barassi Line is perhaps our strongest sociographic dividing characteristic, and certainly novel globally.
Critics say rule changes have made one-sided games more likely in the NRL. But statistics suggest it’s no more predictable than other major Australian competitions such as the AFL.