Reconciliation Australia warns racism must be tackled
Media Release – 16 June 2010
Ahead of tonight’s State of Origin match in Brisbane, Reconciliation Australia has cautioned there’s no room for racist and ignorant behavior in sport or in our broader community.
Reconciliation Australia Board Director and former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice and Race Discrimination Commissioner Tom Calma said last week’s incident involving the NSW State of Origin team had caused concern in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and tarnished the NRL’s efforts to promote reconciliation in sport.
However, Dr Calma further said the NRL and ARL had been working closely with Reconciliation Australia to develop strong commitments to reconciliation and cultural understanding.
“Two years ago the NRL and ARL became the first sporting body to develop a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) which celebrates Indigenous success and undertakes positive activities that improve the lives of Indigenous Australians.
“Both organisations have made a strong commitment to consolidate the work of individuals, clubs and the governing bodies, and through their RAP provided a framework to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players,” Dr Calma said.
“It is absolutely vital that Indigenous players feel welcome, connected and supported to perform at their best on and off the field.”
Dr Calma said it was concerning to see a race-related issue emerge in a State of Origin camp just a week after National Reconciliation Week and the 10th anniversary of the Bridge Walks for Reconciliation.
“Reconciliation is about building relationships and we simply can’t allow ignorant or racist comments or attitudes to continue,” said Dr Calma.
“At the start of this month Reconciliation Australia launched a new campaign which celebrated how much had been achieved for reconciliation over the last decade.
“It asks Australians to look at things through fresh eyes—to see things from other people’s perspective.
“I hope that this issue within the ranks of rugby league has made people realise how one off-the-cuff remark can be extremely hurtful to other individuals and have a major impact on the broader community,” Dr Calma said.
Dr Calma also noted that he had worked closely with the NRL and ARL since 2005 to develop initiatives to stamp out racism in the code and much progress has been made.
In their Reconciliation Action Plan the NRL has recognised that a key ingredient for their success in attracting members and supporters is that all players and coaching staff embrace mutual respect and understanding for their fellow players and help create a culture of inclusiveness in sport.
The NRL and ARL have developed a range of projects under their RAP which provide opportunities for players to tackle entrenched issues of disadvantage, particularly in health and education.
These include:
- Develop specific strategies to encourage the participation of Indigenous girls and women through the Women in League program
- Provide elite development pathways for identified Indigenous athletes
- Support the appointment of six Indigenous Development Officers in NSW and Queensland
- Support individual players and clubs in visits to Indigenous communities
- In partnership with ARL Development, promote and make available cultural awareness training to all development officers.
The North Queensland Cowboys and the Canterbury Bulldogs play the Reconciliation Cup every year and are now in the process of creating their RAPs.
Earlier this year Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander players past and present were widely celebrated and positively reinforced by the Indigenous All-Stars game on the Gold Coast.
During this year’s NAIDOC Week, the NRL will host a career expo in Sydney that aims to promote and encourage a career path for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander youth.
Media Contact: Kylie Thompson, 0418 633 277 or kylie.thompson@reconciliation.org.au
