MELBOURNE (Reuters) – A survey of female Australian Rules football umpires has revealed a culture of harassment, misogyny and spectator abuse which its authors said was driving women away from the sport.
The University of Sydney study interviewed women umpires at community and state levels, with one participant reporting she quit after being sexually harassed by fellow umpires.
“Umpires during games would inappropriately touch me, like when we’re umpiring together and things like that. So, that’s what made me quit,” she said.
Revelations of abuse and misconduct rocked the world of sport in 2021 as athletes from all levels of competition across the globe demanded greater accountability of trainers, coaches and governing bodies.
Other participants in the Australian Rules survey detailed racial abuse from spectators and having to use change-rooms with men.
One complained of over-hearing a male umpire talk about her breasts to other umpires.
“Almost all participants indicated that they had experiences of having their umpiring questioned without any basis except for their appearance,” the study said in its key findings.
“This came from spectators, player coaches, fellow umpires, and umpire coaches, and for many participants in this study, caused them to question whether to continue umpiring.”
The study was funded by the sport’s governing body, the Australian Football League (AFL), and completed in August.
The AFL did not make the study’s findings public but referred to it in a November 2021 strategy document obtained by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in March.
News Corp media reported the study was leaked on Monday.
Former AFL footballer and TV pundit Garry Lyon accused the AFL of burying it.
“You have to make it public so then you address it and make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he told Australian radio station SEN.
The AFL declined to comment but acting Chief Executive Kylie Rogers said the league did not release the report because it wanted to develop policies and initiatives based on its findings.
“The AFL accepts that we could have shared the report publicly while that policy development process was underway,” Rogers said in a letter to stakeholders on Monday.
“I want to make clear on behalf of the AFL that those incidents and those behaviours are wholly unacceptable and … the AFL encourages any of the aggrieved umpires can have their matter investigated (or further investigated) by the making of a report to the AFL Integrity & Security team.”
AFL players expressed disappointment with the report’s findings.
“That’s disgraceful. I can’t believe our junior female umpires are experiencing that sort of stuff,” Melbourne Demons defender Steven May told reporters on Monday.
Female player participation in the sport has soared since the launch of the professional AFLW league in 2017 but growth has been slower in umpiring ranks.
Girls and women represent less than 11% of umpires and 2.6% at AFL level.
The AFL launched a crackdown on umpire abuse by players during matches this season after reporting a shortage of umpires at community level had reached “crisis point”.
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Ed Osmond)
