Play by the Rules was first developed by the South Australian Department for Sport and Recreation in 2001 as an interactive education and information website (www.playbytherules.net.au) on discrimination, harassment and child protection in sport. Over the years, as more agencies have seen the need to promote Play by the Rules, they have joined as partners and helped by contributing funds, content and in-kind support.
Play by the Rules is now a unique collaboration between Sport Integrity Australia, Sport Australia, the Australian Human Rights Commission, all state and territory departments of sport and recreation, all state and territory anti-discrimination and human rights agencies, the Office of the Children's Guardian (NSW) and the Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW. These partners promote Play by the Rules through their networks, along with their own child safety, anti-discrimination and inclusion programs.
Play by the Rules provides information, resources, tools and free online training to increase the capacity and capability of administrators, coaches, officials, players, parents and spectators to assist them in preventing and dealing with discrimination, harassment, child safety, inclusion and integrity issues in sport.
National campaigns featuring radio and television community service announcement ads, utilising national sporting icons, are also extending positive sporting messages more broadly to the general community.
Play by the Rules is governed by a national Management Committee, made up of partners from the sport and recreation and human rights agencies. Meet the current Management Committee below:
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Dr Paul Oliver (Co-Chair)
Paul is a senior executive with 25+ years’ experience in public and private sectors (in Australia and overseas). He founded and managed his own sports publication business, and a sports consultancy that has assisted federal and state governments and NSOs/SSOs and clubs over the past 10 years to address challenging contemporary issues in sport.
Paul has worked across all levels of the sports industry (including with Paralympics Australia as the Director for Government & Stakeholder Engagement) and with social justice organisations (including the Australian Human Rights Commission as Director of Communications & Education). He is passionate about promoting and addressing issues impacting sport such as inclusion, safeguarding, good governance and integrity, and has a deep understanding of these issues and how they affect sport and society.
Paul has a BA in Communications, a Masters in International and Community Development, and a PhD on the power of sport to break down cultural barriers and build social bridges for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and those from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse backgrounds.
He is currently a member of the International Safeguarding Children in Sport Advisory Board, Centre for Multicultural Sport Advisory Board and Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Paul is currently responsible for Sport Integrity Australia’s sport partnerships, education, safeguarding, integrity complaints and capability sections and engages with sports on the National Integrity Framework.
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Dr Ben Gauntlett (Co-Chair)
Prior to commencing as Disability Discrimination Commissioner, Ben worked as a barrister in Western Australia and Victoria with a broad ranging practice.
He has also worked as an associate to the Honourable Justice Kenneth Hayne AC at the High Court of Australia, as Counsel Assisting the Solicitor-General of the Commonwealth and taught law in Australia and the United Kingdom. Ben holds undergraduate degrees in Law (Hons) and Commerce from the University of Western Australia, and was awarded the Rhodes Scholarship for Western Australia in 2003.
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Peter Betson (Co-Chair)
Peter is the Associate Deputy Secretary of Sport, Recreation and Racing within the Department of Jobs, Precincts and Regions (DJPR). He is a former Deputy Secretary of Resources, within DEDJTR and has held various roles with State and Commonwealth Governments, including the ACCC.
Peter is a board member of the Cooperative Research Centre for Water Sensitive Cities. He holds a Master of Finance from RMIT University and a Postgraduate Diploma in Economics from the University of Melbourne.
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Elaine Heaney (she/her)
Elaine Heaney is the National Manager for the Play by the Rules program and is employed by Sport Integrity Australia (a partner of Play by the Rules).
Elaine is a safeguarding and risk specialist from the UK and her background includes working as a solicitor in both Criminal and WHS law and most recently in the policy sphere, as the Child Protection Officer for Scouts NSW.
During her time at Scouts NSW – Elaine specialised in safeguarding policy and implementing the recommendations of the Royal Commission. This work resulted in the Scouts NSW campaign Know It, Live It, Log it, which was recently shortlisted for a communications award. Elaine is passionate about human rights and social justice and is driven by a desire to promote appropriate conduct and safe, fair and inclusive sport throughout Australia. |
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Scott McDougall (he/him)
Scott McDougall commenced as Commissioner of the Anti-Discrimination Commission Queensland (now Queensland Human Rights Commission) on 8 October 2018. Prior to his appointment he was the Director and Principal Solicitor at Caxton Legal Centre Inc. in Brisbane.
Since admission to legal practice in 1993 he has advocated on behalf of communities and conducted litigation particularly in the areas of discrimination, native title, criminal law, guardianship and coronial inquiries.
Mr McDougall has overseen the design and implementation of numerous legal and social work service programs and was the President of the Queensland Association of Independent Legal Services from 2009 to 2013. He has undertaken several projects facilitating engagement between governments and communities including working with the Palm Island Aboriginal Shire Council to prepare the Palm Island Future Directions Report (2006) and overseeing the G20 Independent Legal Observers Project (2014).
He holds a Bachelor of Laws from the Queensland University of Technology.
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Anne Hollonds
Anne Hollonds is Australia’s National Children’s Commissioner. Formerly Director of the Australian Institute of Family Studies, for 23 years Anne was Chief Executive of government and non-government organisations focussed on research, policy and practice in child and family wellbeing. As a psychologist Anne has worked extensively in frontline practice, including child protection, domestic and family violence, mental health, child and family counselling, parenting education, family law counselling, and community development. Anne currently contributes to several expert advisory groups, including the Family Law Council, Australian Child Maltreatment Study, NSW Domestic and Family Violence and Sexual Assault Council, National Plan Advisory Group (NPAG), and Australian National Child Health and Development Atlas Oversight Group.
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Janet Schorer
Janet is currently the Children's Guardian at the Office of the Children's Guardian in NSW.She was Executive Director of the NDIS Reform Group for the NSW Department of Premier and Cabinet from November 2014, and led the Commonwealth negotiations and transition to the NDIS across NSW Government.
Ms Schorer was also responsible for developing the whole-of-government strategic framework for the response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
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Dana Assenheim
Dana Assenheim is the Director Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Sport Australia. She is an accomplished senior leader with over 20 years’ experience across all levels of the sporting sector from community, state, national and government. She has extensive experience in governance, strategy, business improvement, innovation, workforce and stakeholder management.
Dana is currently working to create inclusive, accessible sporting environments that empower all participants to pursue their dreams in a safe and welcoming environment. She is focusing on a range of initiatives targeting women, people with a disability, First Nations, multicultural communities and people who identify as LGBTIQ+.
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Alexis Cooper
Alexis Cooper is responsible for leading Sport Integrity Australia’s education program for athletes, coaches, medical practitioners, parents, school students and sporting staff to prevent threats like doping, match-fixing, inside information, illicit drug use, discrimination and abuse.
Alexis has a Bachelor of Media and Communication Studies and a Masters of Bioethics, coupling her passion for communicating complex information in simple and engaging ways with her interest in understanding why and how people make decisions.
She has five years’ experience working in sport integrity, having previously served as the Media Adviser to the CEO of ASADA, and later as the acting Director of Education and Innovation of ASADA.
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