ABSTRACT
Introduction Sport across the world is regularly associated with an ethos of fair play and equality, with competition and opportunities structured around a determined commitment to formal and informal codes of ethics and conduct. Despite this, whether it be on the pitch, from the touchline, in the boardroom or via social media, some sports participants are subjected to discrimination and abuse – ranging from the very subtle to overtly aggressive acts of violence and harm, and often of a nature that is probably illegal and certainly unacceptable in non-sporting situations. Despite claims to the contrary, sport reflects the social context in which it takes place and thus is as likely to be shaped by the structural and culturally produced social inequalities as any other social realm. It does appear, however, as though the sporting contest can provide an ‘acceptable’ home to the more extreme voices of discriminatory abuse that may be otherwise generally silenced in societies like those of Australia and the UK. Just as sport can be seen as a place of social cohesion, mobility and a moral educator, so it can also harbour the more extreme manifestations of discrimination.
