Rugby Australia has joined other major Australian football codes by announcing its support for the Indigenous Voice to parliament with a full-page advertisement in The Sydney Morning Herald, telling supporters it’s time for a “level playing field” for First Nations people.
The AFL is also expected to announce its support for the Yes vote on Thursday.
After extensive discussions, the RA board this week formalised its position on the Indigenous Voice to parliament, which will be the subject of a referendum later this year.
“The Voice is not about division. It’s about union,” said a statement in Thursday’s advertisement.
RA chairman Hamish McLennan and board members have been working together on a formal position for several months.
The decision comes after this masthead revealed RA was facing pressure from within to take a neutral stance on the Voice proposal.
McLennan said advertising copywriter Simon Collins, a former colleague of his at marketing firm Y&R in New York, was commissioned by RA to help write the statement.
“The board of RA has discussed this issue deeply and whilst we would never tell anyone how to vote, we have been asked by multiple stakeholders for our position,” McLennan said.
RA has followed the lead of the NRL, Footbal
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