Play With Pride calls on allies to be active in their support of inclusive sport
Published Mon 29 Jun 2026
Adelaide University Sport and Fitness brought athletes, allies and sporting organisations together at the SkyCity Ballroom on Friday 26 June for Play With Pride - an annual event dedicated to diversity and inclusion in sport.
Hosted by media personality Ali Clarke, the event created a shared space for people from across the sporting community to listen, learn and consider the role each of us can play in making sport safer and more welcoming for the LGBTQIA+ community.
With canapés, wine, exhibitor engagement and opportunities to network, Play With Pride was equal parts celebration and call to action. The message was clear throughout the afternoon: inclusive sport requires active involvement, built through visible leadership, practical action, and a collective commitment to ensuring that support is provided at all levels and by all participants.
The Hon. Katrine Hildyard MP, Minister for Human Services, Women, Seniors and Ageing Well, said, “For some people, sporting spaces may not feel welcoming, safe or inclusive. We have taken huge steps toward changing this, which is a legacy that has been built on by many people in this room.”
“Sport brings people from diverse backgrounds and circumstances together, and gives people a sense a belonging, a knowing that they’re not alone. Sport must embrace this power in ways that genuinely make a difference in the lives of individuals, and in ways that send a powerful message about everyone being welcome everywhere.”
The keynote address came from Ash Brazill, one of Australia’s most accomplished dual-sport athletes - a Commonwealth Games gold medallist and Netball World Cup champion with the Australian Diamonds, and AFLW superstar with Collingwood and Fremantle.
Her journey through sport led to more than just professional success, becoming the catalyst for both personal acceptance and the life she has since built with her wife and their two children.
Pride in Sport’s Ben Cork brought a national perspective to the conversation, discussing the Pride in Sport Survey, Australia’s largest survey designed to measure LGBTQIA+ inclusion in sporting organisations.
He spoke of the need for active allyship, stating that while the vast majority are supportive of LGBTQIA+ inclusion in sport, half of those are passive allies who empower the vocal minority. He called upon all in the room to provide the support and education required to turn this passive support into something more active.
The panel discussion brought together four distinct voices in Adelaide University Rugby Sharks player and grassroots advocate Rusty Eckert, former AFL and SANFL footballer Leigh Ryswyk, fitness coach and Married at First Sight participant Sam Stanton, and Pride Cup’s Alex Watson.
They represented the breadth of people and experiences needed in conversations about inclusion - from community sport and fitness to elite competition, advocacy and personal visibility. Each panellist brought a unique perspective on what it takes to create environments where people are able to feel that they truly belong.
Ryswyk’s presence was especially significant. In March this year, he publicly came out as gay, becoming the first past or present male AFL player to do so. His story has prompted important conversations about visibility, representation and the barriers that still exist in traditionally masculine sporting environments.
Daniel Lawlor, Adelaide University Sport and Fitness Diversity and Inclusion Lead, said “Play With Pride is about bringing people together. It's more than an opportunity to network and hear inspiring personal journeys, it's a space where organisations at every stage of their diversity and inclusion journey can connect, learn from one another and strengthen a shared commitment to creating more inclusive communities through sport.”
The event was made possible through the backing of a strong group of sponsors, including Adelaide University, Thorne Harbour Health and Howard Vineyard. Silver Sponsors Cricket Australia, Fertility SA and Rugby Australia, along with Bronze Sponsor JMX Solutions, demonstrated the growing cross-sector support for achieving inclusion in sport.
When sporting spaces are inclusive, it can be transformative. Play With Pride offered practical hope that progress is possible when individuals and organisations choose to lead.
Connect with our sponsors and exhibitors
Platinum Sponsor: Adelaide University
Wine Sponsor: Howard Vineyard
Gold Sponsor: Thorne Harbour Health
Silver Sponsors: Cricket Australia | Fertility SA | Rugby Australia
Bronze Sponsor: JMX Solutions
Beer Sponsor: Coopers
Special Thanks: Pride Cup | Pride in Sport
Exhibitors: Adelaide Spectres Basketball Club | Adelaide University Fitness Hub | Adelaide University Rugby Sharks | Belgravia Apparel | Fertility SA | Howard Vineyard | JMX Solutions | SA Rainbow Advocacy Alliance | Thorne Harbour Health
Door Prizes Provided By: Adelaide University Fitness Hub | Belgravia Apparel / New Balance | Howard Vineyard | Tennis SA
