Racism has no place in sport. It has no place in society. Yet, in 2023, representatives from across the sporting system are meeting in Glasgow for the Race and Racism in Scottish Sport Conference. It is disappointing, infuriating, and necessary in equal measure.
We need to be honest and accept there is a problem. Racism is real. Racism is prevalent in our society and sport is no exception. When I was appointed as Chief Executive of sportscotland in January this year, I told colleagues that I want everyone to have the same positive experience of sport that I have had. Sport should be fun, welcoming, inclusive, and diverse.
To achieve this, we must break down barriers. We must create opportunities. We must level the playing field. And we must stand united in the fight against racism.
We know from experience just how damaging racism is. In June 2021, the five UK Sports Councils published the findings of the Tackling Racism and Racial Inequality in Sport review. TRARIIS was a very important piece of research whichnvolved an extensive analysis of all publicly available data on race and ethnicity in sport. It also included a lived experience research project, which over 300 people contributed to.
This important piece of work confirmed that racism and racial inequalities exist in sport in the UK, resulting in ethnically diverse communities and individuals being consistently disadvantaged, discriminated against, and excluded from sport and physical activity. This has had, and continues to have, a detrimental impact on individuals, leading to mistrust and exclusion.
We are determined to continue to learn from TRARIIS and deliver genuine transformational change across sport. That won’t be easy, and we don’t have all the answers. We also recognise that our approach to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and racism needs to be about more than just words. This is the start of a much longer process.
Collectively it is on all of us to do what we can to address racism and racial inequality. Nowhere is that more important than in Scottish cricket. The challenges and the problems facing the sport are well documented and it is important that Cricket Scotland addresses those and starts to rebuild for the future.
Despite the challenges, it is important to remember that thousands of people play cricket each week across the country. That love for cricket was also captured in the Changing The Boundaries report and is why we continue to do all that we can to support the governing body.
We need to recognise that racism is not just a cricket problem. We know there is more to do to support Scotland’s sporting system in dealing with racism, discrimination, and inequalities. Earlier this year we announced a partnership with UK-wide race discrimination charity Sporting Equals.
Our partnership with Sporting Equals sees us take an important step towards tackling race inequality across Scottish sport. They bring extensive expertise in this area and will play a key role in strengthening our approach to EDI and racism.
But we know we must go further. Later this year we will also be announcing a series of measures aimed at strengthening our work in this area including the launch of a new national investigation service to help governing bodies deal with complex complaints. That could include complaints relating to racism.
We are also looking at how we invest in local community groups that operate in the areas of diversity and inclusion. We will test new ideas for excluded groups and be prepared to fail but more importantly to learn. Our work will evolve as we learn.
I strongly believe that the overwhelming majority of those involved in Scottish sport are open, welcoming, and inclusive to people from any and all backgrounds.
But we can’t hide from the problems we face. It is clear that when it comes to racism, we can do better. We must do better. And we will do better.
As the national agency for sport, we will continue to work with our partners in Government and across the sporting system in the fight against racism. That is our firm commitment to everyone who loves sport in this country.
I firmly believe that sport can bring people together and it can be a powerful vehicle for change. And nowhere is that more important that the fight against racism. When it comes to racism, it is no longer good enough to not be racist. Scottish sport must become anti-racist.
