NEWSLETTER OCTOBER 2022

Hello friends,

Major sports events and sponsorships are being influenced by athlete power and influence - and it's changing the sports sponsorship landscape. 

Hancock Prospecting pulled its sponsorship of Netball Australia after players chose not to wear the mining company's logo in support of Indigenous player Donnell Wallam. Australia's Men's Cricket captain Pat Cummins, a climate repair advocate, denied allegations of influencing the abrupt end to the huge $40 million sponsorship with alinta.

The Men's FIFA World Cup, due to start in under 4 weeks, is plagued by player and fan protests over the "horrendous" working conditions for migrant workers building the stadiums. The grim Guardian analysis indicates that 6,500 migrant workers have died since Qatar was awarded the World Cup in 2010. Ominously, a Football Australia spokesperson confirmed that "Football Australia [governing body in Australia], Professional Footballers Australia [players union] and the players will have more to say before the tournament commences”.

The standard for major corporations entering sports sponsorship agreements has increased and will have potential major sponsors scrambling to have their 'house in order'. For sports organisations it will mean fewer opportunities to resource their ambitions and greater sacrifices for what they are able to offer. The growth of their respective sports depends on corporate sponsorships... but at what cost?

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Smart Plays episode 3 has dropped and we've compiled the Key Takeaways from the episode: Violence in sports clubs – the shocking research with Aurélie Pankowiak and Mary Woessner. 

Listen on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Amazon | Others

Thanks to all our donors with special thanks to Wood Foundation and Spicers Australia. Be on the lookout for a new episode every fortnight.

Regards, 
Tarik Bayrakli
Manager, Club Respect

SMART PLAYS PODCAST

Key takeaways from Episode 3 of Smart Plays | Club Respect

Is sport now the solution or the problem?

Shocking research results showed that 82% of Australians experienced 1 form of interpersonal violence in sport as a child.

The study was the most comprehensive in Australia, involving 886 adults, and asked whether they had experienced physical, sexual or psychological violence, as well as neglect, from either coaches, peers or parents during childhood.

▪️ 82% of the sampled adults reported experiencing at least one form of interpersonal violence when participating in community sport as a child.
▪️ 67% had experienced psychological violence or neglect.
▪️ 66% reported physical violence.
▪️ 38% reported sexual violence.

These statistics would be alarming in a school or workplace. Yet, there’s a sense of ‘well, that’s just the way it is in community sport’ or a belief that abuse and violence lead to resilient humans without mentioning the trauma attached to these experiences.

What can sports do to decrease this alarming statistic?

On this episode of Smart Plays, Host Tarik Bayrakli chats with the report co-authors Aurélie Pankowiak and Mary Woessner (PhD) about their findings in what is a huge wake-up call for clubs and associations.

Check out the Key takeaways, and notable moments and listen to the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/gv6EX

TOP POSTS ON CLUB RESPECT SOCIALS

Follow our LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter social media pages and join in the conversations. Our focus at the moment is on the crisis of umpire/referee shortages and the cultural issues that have made it a significant issue for many sports. 

If you can’t see it, you can’t be it. Congrats to Kasey Badger on being appointed as the first woman to referee at a Men’s Rugby League World Cup.

The decision came as a complete shock for the NRL & NRLW match official: “I nearly fell off my chair when they announced it!”

Young female referees have even more reason to continue in their profession as the stigma associated with female match officials erodes.

#ClubRespect #Referee #Rugby #RLWC2021 #WomenInSport

Terrible role modelling! A powerful image was captured over the weekend of Liverpool FC Manager Jurgen Klopp yelling at an Assistant Referee.

Klopp’s disrespectful act earned him a red card but was seen by millions around the world abusing someone simply trying to do their job. After the match, the pundits discussed the refereeing decisions more than the game.

High-profile EPL managers must be accountable for the fact they are being watched and imitated by millions of people across the world.

And at the grassroots level, unchecked referee abuse by managers can often lead to 'gang ups' and violence from players.

Across the world, referee recruitment is in crisis and #NoRefNoPlay.

#WalkAlone

Respect is giving people choices, so they feel comfortable in their workplace. Outstanding leadership from rock star Pink, who offered to pay the $2,500 fine imposed on the Norwegian Beach Handball team after they chose to wear bike shorts instead of the mandated bikini bottoms at the European championships earlier this year.

"Improper clothing” was the accusation and charge imposed by the European Handball Federation (EHF). While technically the ruling was made according to the regulations, the incident triggered a debate around freedom of choice and what is and isn’t proper.

The Norwegian beach handball team took a stand that they felt ‘unnecessarily sexualised’ as the rules stipulate that female players must wear tops and bikini bottoms, while the men wear tank tops and shorts.

At the grassroots levels, participation rates for women and girls continue to rise rapidly and adjusting to the needs of this growing participation base is essential.

Clare Hanlon from Victoria University argues that girls need to feel confident and comfortable to step onto the field of play and that 50% of women surveyed decided to play longer when they had flexible uniform policies.

The challenge for sport and rigid uniform policies extends beyond Handball, with other sports, like netball and swimming, facing similar battles.

For more info check out 'Effects of Sport uniform policy changes to girls and women': https://www.vu.edu.au/sites/default/files/study-two-sport-uniform_0.pdf

We respectfully acknowledge the wisdom of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and their custodianship of the lands and waterways.