LGBTQIA+
PLAY WITH PRIDE
Play With Pride is our annual event dedicated to diversity and inclusion in sport.
Each year, we bring together members of the LGBTQIA+ community and allies - including athletes, coaches, volunteers and industry professionals - to discuss their lived experiences, challenges and successes, and how to ensure that sport can be an inclusive and welcoming space for the LGBTQIA+ community.
Headline speakers at previous Play With Pride events have included:
- Andrew Purchas OAM (founder of Australia's first gay and inclusive rugby team the Sydney Convicts, former Chair of International Gay Rugby, and co-founder of Pride in Sport)
- Isaac Humphries (Adelaide 36ers basketballer and the NBL's first openly gay player)
- Ash Brazill (AFLW and Suncorp Super Netball superstar, and 2022 Commonwealth Games gold medallist with the Australian Diamonds)
INCLUSIVE CLUBS
A number of our sporting clubs host Pride Rounds and Pride Games on a yearly basis as part of their commitment to diversity and inclusion.
Rugby
Adelaide University is home to Adelaide's first gay and inclusive rugby union team, the Adelaide University Rugby Sharks established in 2019.
They play in the third grade of the Rugby Union South Australia competition, and compete nationally each year in the Purchas Cup against other gay and inclusive rugby union teams around Australia and New Zealand. The Adelaide University Rugby Club's Pride Round occurs annually at Waite Oval during Pride Month in June, featuring rainbow painted touch lines, local LGBTQIA+ club stalls, performers, and the AU Drag Race competition.
Hockey
The Adelaide University Hockey Club run an annual Pride Round.
Soccer
In 2025 the Adelaide University Soccer Club Community Women held their first Pride Round.
Funded with a grant from the University of Adelaide's Student Health and Wellbeing team, the event included fun, friendly matches for attendees, tote bag painting and craft stalls, and a BBQ and bake sale with proceeds going to LGBTQIA+ charity Minus18.
Cricket
In 2025 the Adelaide University Cricket Club held their first Pride Game.
Funded with a grant from Movember x Pride Cup, the event included a dedicated Pride-themed uniform, merchandise sale, and an inclusive education session for players and club members run by Pride Cup.
FIND YOUR AU SPORT CLUB
CLICK HERE TO DISCOVER OTHER LGBTQIA+ INCLUSIVE GROUPS & ORGANISATIONS IN ADELAIDE
PRIDE IN SPORT
Adelaide University Sport and Fitness is a member of Pride in Sport, Australia’s leading program dedicated to enhancing LGBTQIA+ inclusion in the sporting community. Pride in Sport works with organisations, clubs, and individuals in the sport, fitness and recreation sector to foster safe, inclusive, and supportive environments for LGBTQ+ athletes, coaches, volunteers, officials and fans.
PRIDE IN SPORT FESTIVAL
In 2025 we participated in the Pride in Sport Festival, which celebrated LGBTQIA+ inclusion through community engagement initiatives nationwide and marking a significant milestone in advancing LGBTQIA+ inclusion in sport across the country.
Over several months, the Festival delivered a diverse calendar of events, activities, and activations - from grassroots club initiatives to national campaigns - engaging thousands of participants, volunteers, and organisations. It brought together sporting bodies, community leaders, and allies to create safer, more inclusive spaces for LGBTQ+ people in sport, while shining a spotlight on the incredible achievements of our community.
Our Pride in Sport Festival activation saw Park 10 in North Adelaide host inclusive community clubs including the Adelaide University Rugby Sharks, Adelaide Dodgeball, Adelaide Frontrunners, Adelaide Spikers Volleyball Club, Club de Pétanque d'Adelaide, Fencing SA, Hike Society Adelaide, Murder City Roller Derby, Pride Tennis Adelaide, Rainbow Racquets Squash Adelaide, SAMESH and Thorne Harbour Health. The event included sporting demonstrations from these community clubs, education from community health groups, a hike, and fun, friendly mini games.
