National sport stars tell it straight

While sport has dominated the news for all the wrong reasons lately, it’s time to share some positive messages from one of our current Test Cricket greats, an Olympic Cycling Gold Medallist, a Socceroo, and one of our Hockeyroos.

Four of Australia’s best known sport stars have each recorded a 30-second Community Service Announcement for the national Play by the Rules initiative to promote safe, fair and inclusive sport.

The big four are:

* Peter Siddle (Australian Cricket Team)

* Anna Meares (Cycling Gold Medallist, 2012 Olympics)

* Archie Thompson (Socceroos and Melbourne Victory)

* Anna Flanagan (Hockeyroos)

The messages capture the best of our sporting spirit: that it's fine to be competitive, but everyone deserves respect and a fair go, fellow competitors and officials alike, and regardless of their race, gender, religion, or sexual preference.

Hear the messages here.

The four messages are also very timely: with the Australian Cricket Team overseas taking on India; the A-League season building up to the crescendo of the finals series; the Cycling World Championships are rapidly approaching; and the Hockey World Cup is also on the horizon. The CSAs will be broadcast between 14 February and 14 April 2013.

Play by the Rules is a unique partnership of 20 government agencies around Australia, including the Australian Sports Commission, each state/territory sport and recreation department, each state/territory anti-discrimination agency, the Australian and New Zealand Sports Law Association (ANZSLA) and the NSW Commission for Children and Young People.

See www.playbytherules.net.au for details.