A ‘Sorrowful Day’: National Rugby League Reveals Stance on Australia Day

People show their support during the Reclaim Australia Day Rally at the Esplanade in Fremantle, Australia, on Jan. 26, 2017. Paul Kane/Getty Images

The National Rugby League’s (NRL) decision not to celebrate Australia Day has stirred controversy among fans, with some calling on the NRL to stay out of politics.

The move comes after Cricket Australia—led by captain Pat Cummins— refused to use “Australia Day” for marketing purposes around the Gabba Test.

Tennis Australia and Football Australia have taken similar stances not to recognise Jan. 26 as Australia’s national day.

On Friday morning, the NRL released a statement saying it “acknowledges that today represents a painful and sorrowful day for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.”

“Today, we pay tribute to the resilience and the enormous contribution our Aboriginal and Torres Strait brothers and sisters make to our nation and the greatest game for all,” read NRL’s post on X (formally Twitter).

The NRL did not make any reference to Australia Day.

‘Remove The Hate’

The post has attracted criticism from some fans, who described the move as “virtue signalling” and urged the NRL to “stay out of politics and stay in your lane.”

One person argued that the NRL “should be a symbol of what any and every Australian can achieve if they work hard towards their goals, regardless of their background.”

“But instead you play politics,” they wrote. “This kind of press release doesn’t win you more viewers, it does the exact opposite.”

Another X user called on the NRL to “remove the hate, not the date, and stop being so exclusive.”

“Can’t you say this stuff in NAIDOC week or something?” One person posted. “Today is Australia Day. Nobody on this earth had anything to do with what happened over 200 years ago. Enough of the virtue signalling please. NRL players have had well documented history of domestic violence, maybe start there.”

Another person pointed out that the NRL didn’t recognise the stance of the majority of fans.

“Will you post a tribute for Australia Day too? Will you respect and recognise the majority of the fans and population that are celebrating Australia Day?”

“Look at Disney as a lesson on how corporates should focus on the customer, focus on the business. Been warned, your business is not immune,” one X user said.

The Kangaroos and Jillaroos—Australia’s national rugby league teams—shared the NRL’s message on their page, which has attracted much criticism. One person commented under the Kangaroos’ Instagram post, “Why have 97 percent of the population have to appease the 3 percent.”

Professional rugby league football club, the South Sydney Rabbitohs, which has a large Indigenous supporter base, also declared its political opinion on social media.

“At the Rabbitohs, we understand that today is a day Australians pause to reflect upon and celebrate the unique qualities of our nation. For many, though, it is also a painful and difficult day,” the club said.

“Today, the Rabbitohs join in acknowledging the many and varied cultures that make up our modern Australian nation. At the same time, we pay special tribute to our Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander brothers and sisters and honour them as custodians of the oldest living culture on the planet.

The move comes despite supermarket giant Woolworths being forced to walk back its stance on Australia Day after pressure for its decision not to stock relevant merchandise.

Other Sporting Codes’ Stance

A similar stance was taken by the Australia Football League (AFL). The organisation posted on social media on Friday that it “acknowledged that today has different meanings to our diverse nation.”

“We will always continue to respect, represent and celebrate all the cultures, communities and people that make our country and sport so great.”

The Kookaburras and Hockeyroos, Australia men and women’s national field hockey team respectively, went a step further, supporting a change of date.

“We are all proud to be Australians, however, we do not see January 26 as a day of celebration,” the sides said in a joint statement supported by Hockey Australia.

On its website, the Hockeyroos described itself as “a proudly diverse organisation, who actively celebrates LGBTIQ+ diversity, inclusion, and pride in Australian Hockey.”

AAP contributed to this report.