Rugby Victoria is delighted to announce a 12-month partnership with the Victorian Responsible Gambling Foundation’s Love the Game program.
The partnership is designed to drive positive change within the sports industry by de-normalising gambling on sport.
As part of the partnership, Rugby Victoria will deliver a Love the Game round for juniors during the 2023–24 season. This initiative encourages kids to focus on enjoying the game and raises awareness about the risks and harms associated with sports betting.
Established in 2014, Love the Game has been instrumental in reducing the exposure of young people to excessive sports betting advertising and helping them to think critically about the risks of gambling.
Rugby Victoria CEO Chris Evans commented on the significance of this partnership, stating: "We are thrilled to be formalising our Love the Game partnership.
“Rugby Victoria has a long-standing relationship with the Foundation, and we are excited to be working together to deliver positive outcomes for our sport and the wider community.
“This partnership is an important step in our ongoing commitment to promoting a healthier environment for our community. We’re proud of the Love the Game messaging and hope to mirror its values as a community.”
Foundation CEO Shane Lucas said the partnership with Rugby Victoria is significant because it means more young Victorians will benefit from seeing fewer sports betting promotions.
“We’re delighted to have Rugby Victoria on board and look forward to working together to create an environment in which rugby players and fans are free to love the game, not the odds,” Mr Lucas said.
Rugby Victoria encourages all rugby clubs to sign up to the Love the Game program and join more than 700 Victorian sporting clubs across a range of codes that say NO to sports betting sponsorships.
Learn more about the Love the Game program here.
For more information on Rugby Victoria partnerships, please contact Shelley Nowlan, GM of Commercial at shelley.nowlan@rugbyvic.com.au
