AFL Cairns is delighted to be partnering with renowned national organisation, Pride Cup, in delivering this year’s ‘Pride Round’ on Saturday 13 May and Sunday 14 May.

Pride Cup began as a ‘powerful gesture of mateship in a country footy club and has grown into a national movement for change that unites communities’. This celebration of diversity is transforming the sporting landscape through marquee rainbow-themed fixtures – the universal symbol of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (LGBTIQ) pride – sending a clear message that everyone is welcome in sport.

Sporting clubs are the beating heart of local communities and everyone should be able to participate and benefit from the connection and belonging that comes with being part of a team. Sadly, research has found that many LGBTIQ Australians feel locked out of the games they love because of discrimination and abuse.

Pride Cup bridges this gap by offering a visible display of hope and acceptance to LGBTIQ players. Pride Cup provides hands-on education to help players, coaches and officials to create inclusive sporting environments.

AFL Cairns has delivered ‘Pride Round’ as part of its annual fixture for several years now, and AFL Cairns Football Operations Manager, Ben Carbis, said that “this an exciting starting point of further work that will be done with Pride Cup over years to come to continue to promote inclusion in sport and education within the community.”

Saturday 13 May is an action-packed day at Cazalys Stadium, and there will be several initiatives connected with Pride Round, including painting of the 50-metre arcs, clubs in coloured socks and some Pride Round-themed jumpers. There will also be important messages delivered from local community champions of change and LGBTIQ community representatives.

There will also be initiatives delivered at our junior fixtures on Sunday 14 May across the region to further promote the importance of inclusion.