Racism Doesn’t Belong in our Game
Community sport should be a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment for everyone. However, research shows that racism continues to be experienced and witnessed across sporting environments in Victoria, impacting participation, wellbeing and enjoyment of the game.
A new statewide campaign is raising awareness of racism in community sport, empowering clubs, participants, volunteers and spectators to recognise, challenge and take action against racism.
Proudly supported by the Victorian Government, the campaign is being delivered by the Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY) and the Centre for Multicultural Sport (CMSport), in partnership with AFL Victoria, Basketball Victoria, Cricket Victoria, Football Victoria, Netball Victoria, NRL Victoria, Tennis Victoria, the Victorian Aboriginal Community Services Association (VACSAL), Vicsport and VicHealth.
About the campaign
This initiative raises awareness of racism in community sport, highlights the lived experiences of First Nations and multicultural participants, and provides practical tools to recognise and challenge racist behaviour, attitudes and beliefs.
The campaign is built around a shared commitment across Victorian sport to ensure that everyone can participate safely and without discrimination.
Why this matters
Racism continues to be a significant issue in community sport, with many participants reporting experiences of exclusion, verbal abuse and unfair treatment.
Key findings highlight that:
- Many participants have experienced or witnessed racism in sport
- Some participants feel unwelcome or excluded in sporting environments
- Racism is often under-reported due to fear of retaliation or not being believed
These experiences have lasting impacts on individuals, teams and communities, affecting wellbeing, participation and connection to sport.
Key messages
This campaign is built around three key messages:
Racism doesn’t belong in our game.
There is no place for racism in community sport. Everyone deserves to feel safe, respected and included.
Stronger together against racism.
We all have a role to play in calling out racism and creating safer sporting environments for everyone.
Let’s blow the whistle on racism.
We must educate ourselves and others to recognise, challenge and prevent racism in sport.
How clubs and the community can get involved
We encourage all clubs, volunteers and participants to support this campaign by:
- Sharing campaign materials across social media channels
- Displaying posters at clubs and sporting facilities
- Including campaign messages in newsletters and eDMs
- Linking to campaign information in your communications
- Promoting awareness within your club and wider community
Learn more at: sport.vic.gov.au/anti-racism