The Tasmanian Netball League will be turning teal this weekend to help launch Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM). The SAAM Specialty Round aims to raise awareness, promote open conversations, and help work towards ending sexual violence and creating a community free of sexual trauma.
Team staff will be wearing teal ribbons and athletes sporting temporary tattoos with messages of consent in all matches held in Round 4. Netball Tasmania media manager Kirstin Palfrey says the state sporting organisation is looking forward to continuing the partnership established with Sexual Assault Support Service (SASS) in 2021.
“We are proud to be at the forefront of this initiative and use our demographic as a key marketing base in making sure the message gets out. The netball community is very diverse and we have a large cohort of people we can target.”
Jill Maxwell, CEO of SASS, is thrilled to again partner with Netball Tasmania during SAAM.
“We feel Netball Tasmania are leading the way in terms of sporting organisations in getting the message out that sexual violence is not OK, and that we as a community can do something about it.”
Athletes representing the southern TNL clubs were engaged with the cause and honoured to be part of a powerful movement to support the end of sexual violence. Kingston Blues defender Hannah Steinhauser recognises that a high percentage of women are afflicted.
“23% of Australian women experience sexual assault, and with netball being a widely played sport amongst women so its an important role we play in sharing the message with the community.”
While the launch is recognised today, Palfrey says that it’s a initiative to carry forward.
“The Round is just the start of a partnership we look to carry forward into the future.”
Maxwell states that the entire month of April is important and leads towards a highlight on the event calendar – Wear Teal Tuesday on April 26th.
Round 4 SAAM matches will take place on Friday April 1st, and sees Cavaliers face Devon at the Silverdome, Cripps host Karana at Hobart Netball and Sports Centre and Kingston take on Arrows at Kingborough Sports Centre.
