Australian sports stand together to support Voice to Parliament

Jarred Cross Published May 26, 2023 at 11.15am (AWST)

sport

Mal Meninga, Eddie Better, Cath Cox and Jason Gillespie. Image: News.com.au

More than 20 of Australia's leading sports organisations united on Friday to support the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

Chairs and executives of the leagues, stretching from major football codes to Badminton Australia, took a stand together ahead of this year's referendum.

A number of sporting houses have publicly expressed their stance in support in recent weeks.

The gathering was held across two cities simultaneously at both North Sydney Oval and the Junction Oval in Melbourne.

Iconic First Nations and non-Indigenous athletes past and present stood hand-in-hand.

Eddie Betts, Jason Gillespie, Jamie Pittman, Nathan Buckley, Andrew Gaze, Cath Cox, Jade North and Mal Meninga were among those in attendance.

The meeting followed an open letter penned to "sports fans of Australia" from the participating organisations saying the games and leagues loved, watched and played by millions across the continent have always been a "unifying force" empowering reconciliation.

The letter reads:

"Dear Sports Fans of Australia,

We, the representatives of leading sport organisations in Australia, come together to make this statement to all Australians who love their sport:

Sport has always served as a unifying force for our diverse Australian society.

Regardless of where we come from or what we believe in, sport brings people together in the spirit of achievement, community and celebration.

Moreover, sport plays a significant role in reconciling Australia.

It has long been a means for the inclusion and celebration of the incredible achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

This year, all Australians will have their say in a referendum to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Constitution by establishing an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice.

We, as a collective, support recognition through a Voice.

We believe our nation can achieve this profound recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the first peoples of our country, in our Constitution.

And that we should do that by ensuring Indigenous Australians have a meaningful say in shaping their own future.

We commit to using our platforms to lead conversations that promote respect, trust and goodwill between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

We commit to improving education and understanding among the Australians who play, administer and watch our sports.

We encourage all Australians who love sport to listen with an open heart and an open mind through this historic moment.

We respect that everyone is entitled to reach their own decision come the referendum.

Together we share a vision for the future as a nation that values equity, fairness and the rights of the Traditional Custodians of our land.

The land on which we play, love and celebrate sport in Australia."

The list of sporting organisations include:

Australian Football League

Australian Taekwondo

Badminton Australia

Baseball Australia