Several Sporting Bodies Cite Pain, Division on Australia’s National Day

Many Australian sporting clubs have issued statements opposing the national day.

Siblings, Nora B., 3, and Aerglo B., 5, celebrate Australia Day, a national holiday, at Bronte Beach in Sydney, Australia on Jan. 26, 2026. Audrey Richardson/Getty Images

As Aussies braved the sun for a spot of beach cricket on Australia Day, numerous sporting organisations issued statements calling for a change of date or have called the celebration a “painful reminder” of colonialism.

Australia Day commemorates the day Captain Arthur Phillip landed at Sydney Cove on Jan. 26, 1788, the start of British colonisation of the continent.

For opponents of Australia Day, the date is a representation of an “invasion” or “survival” for some Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islander groups.

Incidentally, in the Torres Strait region in northern Australia, locals actually celebrate the arrival of Christian missionaries on July 1, 1871 with the “Coming of the Light” festival, which put an end to brutal tribal practices like head-hunting.

Basketball Australia issued a statement saying Australia Day represented “a variety of emotions.”

“We stand in solidarity and acknowledge the pain that remains amongst Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities on this day,” it said.

“We extend this sentiment as a measure of great respect, not sympathy.”

The Port Adelaide Football Club said Australia Day represented “sadness for many people in our club and community.”

While acknowledging that everyone is entitled to their own views and that it does not speak for all members and stakeholders, the club said it believed Australia Day should be moved to another date.

“We stand with our First Nations people and believe all Australians deserve to celebrate our great nation on a date that unites us all with pride and shared respect,” the club said on social media.

“On that basis, we advocate for changing the date.”

Essenden Football Club also released a statement on Australia Day to say it was reaffirming its “enduring commitment to meaningful reconciliation.”

Hockey Australia stated that “Jan. 26 holds different meaning and emotions for people and communities within Australia.”

“We acknowledge it is a challenging day for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, some of whom consider it a day of mourning,” the sporting body said on an Instagram post.

Meanwhile, other sporting teams and organisations, such as Cricket Australia and the National Rugby League, made no direct public statements.

Public Support Surging

Despite their stances, public support for the date has actually increased.

On Jan. 20, the market research company Roy Morgan found 72 percent of Australians support the date remaining on Jan. 26, up 3.5 percent from 2025.

Australians holding a banner while attending the March for Australia rally on the Gold Coast, Australia on Jan. 26, 2026. Courtesy of Anna Nguyen

In comparison, only 28 percent of Australians backed Jan. 26 being rebranded as “invasion day.”

Support for Australia Day had also increased among those aged 18-49, while Australians aged 50-plus had decreased between 6.5 and 8 percent.

Support for maintaining the date was also higher in the countryside than in capital cities (70 percent to 55 percent respectively), while the lowest majority support came from Victoria at 52.5 percent.

New South Wales showed the strongest support with 67 percent majority voting in favour.

“This is the highest support for Australia Day recorded by Roy Morgan. There is majority support for Australia Day retaining its name and date across all age groups, genders, and all states,” said Roy Morgan CEO Michele Levine in a statement.