2025 PRIDE IN SPORT AWARDS
Published Wed 30 Apr 2025
HOCKEY ACT AWARDED WITH PLATINUM TIER RECOGNITION AT THE 2025 PRIDE IN SPORT AWARDS
Hockey ACT attended the Pride in Sport Australia Awards on Wednesday the 17th of April in Melbourne at CENTREPIECE and are incredibly proud to have received the Platinum Tier Sporting Organisation Award for the first time.
Launched in 2018, the Australian Pride in Sport Awards is the first event of its kind dedicated to celebrating and recognising outstanding efforts to make Australian sport more inclusive of LGBTQ+ people. Proudly presented by Pride in Sport — a national initiative led by ACON, Australia’s largest LGBTQ+ health organisation — the awards honour those leading the way in fostering diversity and inclusion across the sporting landscape and showcase the results of the Pride in Sport Index (PSI) – a national benchmarking instrument used to access LGBTQ inclusion within Australian sport
Platinum tier recognition is awarded to organisations who have obtained the Gold Tier Status within the PSI for four out of the last five years of submissions or by winning Sporting Organisation of the Year twice within the same five-year period. Hockey ACT won the prestigious Sporting Organisation of the Year in 2023 and has achieved and upheld the Gold Tier Status in 2022, 2023, 2024 and now 2025 in which Hockey ACT status has been upgraded to the Platinum Tier.
This is an award Hockey ACT are incredibly proud of and are now only 1 of 3 organisations nationally that hold this status. Macquarie University Sport were the first to achieve Platinum Status in 2024 followed by Hockey ACT and Tennis Australia in 2025.
- This award recognises the work that Hockey ACT have undertaken in the LGBTQ+ space in 2024 including: Hosting Pride Round in June 2024 promoting visibility of LGBTQ community, raising awareness, education & training to the wider ACT region.
- Appointed eight Hockey ACT Pride Ambassadors.
- Improved governance among LGBTQ members.
- Involvement in the Hockey One Pride Round and Pledge.
- Continuing to provide a safe and welcoming environment for all members.
“The Board, Staff, Pride Round Committee, Allys/Ambassadors and the Hockey ACT community have been working hard in the inclusion space to continue to develop their learnings and awareness to ensure we continue to provide a safe and welcoming environment for the community regardless of their cultural heritage, religion, gender or sexuality” Hockey ACT’s CEO, Rob Sheekey advises. “The growth within the Inclusion space is important to ensure that we remain visible to welcoming everyone to the sport and making them feel included and accepted within the community. There is still room for growth and improvement however receiving this recognition confirms we are heading in the right direction.”
Hockey ACT would like to thank Pride in Sport Australia for all the advice and support throughout the last few years. The insight Hockey ACT has been provided has been instrumental in helping achieve not only the Gold Tier Status in 2022, 2023, 2024 and now Platinum Tier in 2025 as well as assisting us to improve our awareness and inclusion practices within Hockey ACT and the community.
Hockey ACT also wish to acknowledge Hockey Australia on achieving Gold Tier for the second year running, our fellow member association Hockey WA on another Silver Tier, and Perth Pythons Hockey Club for Most Improved Community Sporting Organisation.
While there will always be more work and learning opportunities in the inclusions space, Hockey ACT are committed to continuing this important work to ensure hockey continues to be a safe and inclusive environment for all.
Hockey ACT’s 2025 Pride Round will be held 27-29 June, 2025; with further details to be announced closer to the date.
