Our Purpose

Athlete Rights Australia exists because people harmed in sport have too often had nowhere to turn.

We are independent of every sporting organisation in Australia. That independence is deliberate, and it is the reason athletes tell us things they will not tell anyone else.

Our work begins with listening. We take the time to understand what has happened to someone, what they want, and what they need, and we let that shape what we push for. We do not decide on anyone's behalf.

For too long the voices of athletes, particularly those without a player association behind them, have been suppressed or ignored. Children and young people are the least heard of all. We support people to understand and advance their rights, and we carry what we learn into the work of changing the system that failed them.

Where sporting organisations are willing to engage constructively, we work with them, because reform is faster when it is shared. Where they are not, we say so publicly, and we bring evidence.  

Our Aims

Athlete Rights Australia aims to:

Support people harmed in sport. We help children, parents and adult athletes understand what has happened, what their options are, and where to find legal, psychological and advocacy support.

Protect children and young people. We work to prevent abuse, neglect and harm in sporting environments, and to see that concerns are heard and acted on.

Relieve the distress caused by failed processes. Complaints and integrity processes are often long, opaque and re-traumatising. We stand alongside the people navigating them.

Advance public understanding. We contribute evidence to inquiries, reviews and public debate, so decisions about athlete safety are made on the basis of what actually happens.

Close the gaps in protection. We advocate for a national safeguarding standard that reaches every participant, in every sport, at every level, including the community clubs where most Australian children play.

Rebalance power. Athletes are often dependent on the organisations that hold sway over their careers. We work to make speaking up less costly.