A chance for greatness: Which sporting code will rise above the rest?

With the Australia vs South Africa test underway at the WACA, there’s one thing certain and a few a little less so.

With Victoria Bitter the official beer of Cricket Australia and the Australian Test team and Hardys the official wine, alcohol will again feature more prominently than all the cricket stars from either nation, regardless of how well they perform with bat or ball.

Less certain, after losing a Test series against Sri Lanka and a One Day Series against South Africa, is whether Australia can beat South Africa on home soil.

But there’s a bigger and more important question. One that transcends cricket.

Which major sporting code will seize the opportunity to sever its advertising and sponsorship connections with alcohol? To rise above its sporting code rivals, and make the strongest possible statement about its value system, respect for its players and most importantly, the Australian community?

Will it be the Cricket Australia, the National Rugby League (NRL), or the Australian Football League?

Late last month, FARE Director and Rugby League great Steve Ella and I met with NRL Chief Executive Todd Greenberg to discuss our concerns about the NRL’s sponsorship relationships with alcohol brands.

I was interested, but not surprised to learn that community concern about alcohol and gambling sponsorship is being considered by the Coalition of Major Professional and Participation Sports (COMPPS), of which the NRL and Cricket Australia are both members.

Not surprised because our major sporting codes are well out of step with the prevailing community attitudes that want to see an end to alcohol sponsorship in sport, want their children to participate and engage with sporting codes that promote values not liquor.

While encouraging to see the issue being considered by COMPPS, this group needs to do more than simply discuss the issue.

At our meeting, Todd Greenberg spoke of the NRL’s efforts to maximise player welfare. However, our sporting codes have a responsibility and influence that extends beyond the game and their own professional player base.

Sadly, through its association with alcohol, and the resulting exposure of young people to alcohol marketing, that influence is a negative and damaging one.

Todd Greenberg also argues that he has a responsibility to promote the NRL’s business interests.

To that I say, for the good of the game, the NRL’s social and community responsibilities cannot be ignored. Further, I’d argue that the NRL damages its business interest in the long-term by continuing to ignore these responsibilities.

FARE has long argued for an end to alcohol sponsorship in sport. Our latest campaign #BoozeFreeSport was sparked by a State of Origin Blues promotion in May offering free beer.

The giveaway was slammed by Steve Ella, himself a former New South Wales Origin player, who was dismayed that the Blues would be complicit in the promotion of a product responsible for so much harm.

At our subsequent meeting, we presented Todd Greenberg with the 3,209 signatories to the Change.org petition, Protect our kids and take alcohol out of the game, together with the thousands of accompanying passionate and concerned comments.

The Change.org campaign, led by Steve Ella’s daughter Kristen, is now closed but we encourage all those who have supported our efforts to continue to support and follow FARE’s campaign efforts to remove alcohol sponsorship from sport.

It is time for the NRL, Cricket Australia, and our other major sporting codes to demand as much from themselves as they do from their players.

By demonstrating real leadership on this issue, one of our sporting codes has a chance for greatness. The only question remaining: which sporting code will rise above the rest?