Racism and discrimination in sport

Racist discrimination and harassment is unlawful. The same goes for sexual harassment.

Discrimination 

Discrimination means being treated differently or unfairly because of a personal quality, such as race, sex, religion, disability or age.

No one can treat you differently or unfairly because of:

• race, ethnicity, skin colour, nationality or citizenship
• sex, gender identity, sexual orientation
• marital, relationship, or family status
• pregnancy or breastfeeding
• disability
• age
• religious belief or non-belief, ethical or political beliefs and opinions.

In sport, for example, no one can stop you:

• wearing a headpiece or full-coverage swimsuit because of your religious beliefs
• competing in athletics because of your sex
• having a political statement on your rugby wrist bands.

Discrimination is against the law in most areas of sport and recreation. 

Sometimes in sport it is ok to be treated differently or excluded from activities because of your age or sex. For example, a 12-year-old not being selected for an under-10 netball team.

Racism is against the law.

It is illegal to discriminate against someone because of where they were born, their cultural background, what they look like or the colour of their skin. 

Racial harassment is using abusive, offensive or intimidating language or ridiculing someone because of their race. For example, making offensive jokes or using offensive nicknames.

It is language or behaviour that is either repeated or one-off, but serious enough to harm you. In sport and recreation examples include:

• not being selected for a team because of the country you’re from
• your club allowing only English to be spoken during training sessions.

Racism and discrimination are harmful

Racism and discrimination are damaging and can affect your health and wellbeing. It can affect your performance and you may quit the sport or activity you love.

It can make you feel bad about yourself or alone. Or feel like it’s your fault. But racism and discrimination can happen to anyone, it’s never ok. And there are people who can help you.

Being on the receiving end can:

• lead to a loss of self-esteem, confidence or mana
• lead to depression, anxiety, risk-taking behaviour and self-harm
• result in poorer performance, and loss of enjoyment.

It’s not only the person being targeted – racism and discrimination also affects those close to you. Everyone suffers if you see or experience discrimination. Friends, family, whānau, your teammates, and your community.

Organisations and clubs can lose out too if discrimination happens. Members might leave or new members might steer clear. The public and club sponsors might lose confidence and trust.