UWA Sport is honoured to be recognised as the 2026 Pride in Sport Sporting Organisation of the Year and to have achieved Platinum Tier status. This recognition reflects the collective commitment of our staff, students, volunteers and wider community to fostering an inclusive sporting environment where LGBTQIA+ people feel safe, respected and supported.
This achievement has been driven by the dedication of our Inclusion team, led by Kristina Mitsikas, together with colleagues across the organisation who continue to champion meaningful and lasting change. Their leadership has helped shape a culture where people feel seen, valued and empowered to participate fully in sport and community life.
At UWA Sport, we believe sport plays an important role in building connection, confidence and belonging. Creating inclusive environments for LGBTQIA+ students and community members is central to that vision, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to thrive both on and off the field. This recognition reinforces the importance of continuing to prioritise visibility, allyship and inclusion across all areas of our organisation.
We thank Pride in Sport and ACON for their ongoing leadership and support, and for recognising our work during the tenth year of the awards. Their guidance and benchmarking framework have been invaluable in strengthening our approach and commitment to continuous improvement.
While we are proud to receive this national recognition, we are even more proud of the inclusive culture our people continue to build together. UWA Sport remains committed to creating a vibrant, welcoming and connected sporting community for all.

Jake Wilkins
General Manager

Hockey ACT is proud of its diverse community and the vital role it plays in shaping the organisation’s identity. We remain a passionate advocate for the inclusion of LGBTQ+ people in sport and are committed to breaking down barriers to participation at every level.

Inclusion continues to be a core strategic priority, embedded across Hockey ACT’s operations and governance. We recognise that sport provides meaningful connections and experiences, and we are dedicated to ensuring these opportunities are accessible and welcoming to the LGBTQ+ community through inclusive programs and targeted initiatives.

Hockey ACT actively drives inclusion through education, visibility, and engagement—key pillars aligned with Pride in Sport. By sharing resources and promoting awareness, we aim to challenge attitudes, behaviours, and beliefs within our hockey community, creating a more respectful and inclusive environment for all.

Our ongoing commitment is demonstrated through visible support and meaningful engagement with the LGBTQ+ community, including initiatives such as Pride Round and broader community activations. These efforts help foster a safe and welcoming space where everyone feels they belong.

Hockey ACT is incredibly proud to once again be recognised as a ‘Platinum Sporting Organisation’ in 2026. Achieving this honour for a second time reflects our continued dedication to LGBTQ+ inclusion and our commitment to ongoing growth. As a Pride in Sport member, we will continue to evolve, regularly reviewing and strengthening our inclusion strategies with expert guidance.

Rob Sheekey
CEO

UWA Sport is honoured to be recognised as the 2026 Pride in Sport Sporting Organisation of the Year and to have achieved Platinum Tier status. This recognition reflects the collective commitment of our staff, students, volunteers and wider community to fostering an inclusive sporting environment where LGBTQIA+ people feel safe, respected and supported.
This achievement has been driven by the dedication of our Inclusion team, led by Kristina Mitsikas, together with colleagues across the organisation who continue to champion meaningful and lasting change. Their leadership has helped shape a culture where people feel seen, valued and empowered to participate fully in sport and community life.
At UWA Sport, we believe sport plays an important role in building connection, confidence and belonging. Creating inclusive environments for LGBTQIA+ students and community members is central to that vision, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to thrive both on and off the field. This recognition reinforces the importance of continuing to prioritise visibility, allyship and inclusion across all areas of our organisation.
We thank Pride in Sport and ACON for their ongoing leadership and support, and for recognising our work during the tenth year of the awards. Their guidance and benchmarking framework have been invaluable in strengthening our approach and commitment to continuous improvement.
While we are proud to receive this national recognition, we are even more proud of the inclusive culture our people continue to build together. UWA Sport remains committed to creating a vibrant, welcoming and connected sporting community for all.

Jake Wilkins
General Manager

We are incredibly proud to receive Gold recognition for the third consecutive year and to be recognised among the top three National Sporting Organisations at the Pride in Sport Awards. This achievement reflects Hockey Australia’s ongoing commitment to strengthening LGBTQ+ inclusion across all levels of our sport, with our highest assessment score to date demonstrating continued progress and impact.

Key highlights throughout 2025 included the delivery of Pride workshops for all of our staff and the wider hockey community, the inaugural Hockey One Pride Round with participation and support from every team across the league, and organisation-wide celebrations of IDAHOBIT Day, Pride Month and Wear It Purple Day.

Over the past year, we have further strengthened our work in visibility and advocacy by collaborating with athlete ambassadors to share authentic stories and promote allyship across digital platforms and major events. During Pride Month, both our national teams proudly wore rainbow socks during the FIH Pro League, with players amplifying the initiative across their own channels to help drive awareness and visibility.

In 2026, our focus will be on continuing to strengthen organisation-wide training, awareness and education initiatives, while also improving the way we capture and analyse LGBTQ+ community feedback and data. These insights will play an important role in shaping our future strategy and ensuring our work continues to meet the needs of our community.

Our partnership with Pride in Sport provides valuable benchmarking and accountability, helping ensure our commitment to inclusion is ongoing and meaningful rather than a one-off action. We are excited to continue building on the momentum achieved to date and remain committed to driving meaningful, lasting change – not only within hockey, but across the broader sporting landscape.

David Pryles
Chief Executive Officer, Hockey Australia

Please see the below quote from Lacrosse Victoria’s General Manager, Michael Sholly for our Gold Status Sport.

Lacrosse Victoria is thrilled to again to be recognised as a Gold Sporting Organisation in 2025. We have been a part of the Pride in Sport Index (PSI) since 2022 and have shown continuous commitment to inclusion. This recognition entrenches lacrosse as sport which is active in ensuring the LGBTQIA+ community is welcomed and feels safe.

We are particularly proud of our Lacrosse Together Cup which is celebrated at the conclusion of our regular season.  This is a wonderful event where hundreds of people from the lacrosse community come together to celebrate our willingness to make lacrosse a sport for all.

Lacrosse Victoria also has a Pride Round which celebrates the diversity and inclusivity in lacrosse and makes a stand against Homophobia, Biphobia, Transphobia and Intersex discrimination.

Lacrosse is committed to continuous improvement and has written an Inclusion Policy to ensure that it is embedded in our clubs.

Michael Sholly
General Manager

This recognition reflects a sustained commitment from Tennis NSW to creating a sport where everyone feels welcome and included. Achieving Gold Tier status for the third consecutive year is something we’re proud of, but what matters most is seeing that commitment come to life across our network.

We’re particularly proud of the way community venues are embracing and leading inclusive practices, and we’re incredibly grateful for the engagement and ongoing relationship we have with LGBTQIA+ clubs across NSW.

We also acknowledge the support and guidance of Pride in Sport, whose partnership continues to strengthen our approach and impact.

Nikita Sayle
Tennis NSW Head of Venue & Community Development

As a small, volunteer-led club in Western Australia, this recognition means so much more than a trophy—it represents years of intentional work to create a space where LGBTQIA+ people feel safe, seen, and celebrated in sport.

Our journey has never been about participation numbers alone. It has been about building a culture grounded in belonging. From inclusive policies and governance frameworks, to education initiatives and community partnerships, we have worked to ensure inclusion is embedded in every layer of our organisation. We want every player, supporter, and volunteer to know they can show up as their full, authentic selves.

Community sport has the power to change lives. For many of our members, the Pythons are more than just a team—they are a chosen family. We recognise the responsibility that comes with that, and we are committed to continuing to lead with empathy, integrity, and purpose.

This recognition also belongs to our incredible volunteers, committee members, and players who give their time, energy, and passion to make this club what it is. It also reflects the support of our partners and the broader Pride in Sport network, who continue to raise the standard for inclusion across Australia.

We hope our work inspires other community clubs to take meaningful steps toward inclusion. Because when sport is truly inclusive, everyone wins.

Callan Kneale (he/him)
President

As an organisation committed to providing welcoming, inclusive and safe spaces through tennis, we are humbled to receive the Inclusion Initiative Award for 2025 AO Pride Day.

AO Pride Day has set a global benchmark for visibility and inclusivity for the LGBTQIA+ community in sport. Beyond the day itself, it has delivered meaningful flow‑on impacts, including hosting guest speakers to share lived experiences, offering Come and Try activations, showcasing LGBTQIA+ artists and performers, and rolling out AO Pride initiatives for community clubs across Australia.

The collaborative process undertaken by our AO team fostered greater awareness and a deeper understanding of why days of significance like AO Pride is so important for the LGBTQIA+ community.

Our collaborative efforts also included consultation with our Tennis Australia LGBTQIA+ Advisory Group, Pride Cup, Minus 18 and Pride in Sport who were invaluable in helping us bring AO Pride to life authentically and in meaningful ways.

Passionate leaders such as Craig Tiley and our Executive Team have been strong supporters of our Pride initiatives. As Craig shared, “Inclusivity is at the very core of what we do, and that also involves creating an environment where people feel safe and comfortable to be themselves”.

We are incredibly proud to use AO Pride as a platform to ensure that everyone — including players, our workforce and patrons — feel safe, welcomed and able to be their true selves at the Australian Open.