WAAFL to launch Red Arm Band roundThursday, July 10, 2014 - 9:50 AM

In a WA Amateur Football League first, and to coincide with the AFL’s Multicultural Round, the WAAFL will encourage all players, officials and umpires to wear a red arm band to help raise awareness of, and remove, racial vilification in football.

The WAAFL will embrace the concept on Saturday 26th July, falling across the split AFL round 18.

The red arm band symbolises Earth-Blood-Life; we come from different places but we are all the same. 

Those wearing a red arm band will have committed to zero tolerance of vilification, no abuse, and an understanding that ‘we are all the same’.

All WAAFL clubs will be provided red tape for the initiative, and will encourage everyone involved in match day football to embrace the red tape to symbolise their support.

To further emphasise the importance of this round in community football, Red Arm Band round will also be supported by junior football clubs at grass roots level, and by the WA Women’s Football League across their Sunday 27th July fixtures.

WAAFL General Manager David Armstrong looked forward to the new concept round and that it was an important introduction in order to remove racial vilification from football.

 “It’s been a successful year in football, but we’ve encountered a few on-field incidents that shouldn’t have occured. We’re confident Red Arm Band round will assist in the minimising of vilification on field”. He said

“The WAAFL clubs are totally behind this initiative. We’re expecting a wide range of football clubs to really get themselves and the greater community involved”.

Emerging Markets Manager Paul Mugambwa also believes the concept is a great initiative for community football with Red Arm Band round promoting a stance against racism on and off the field.

“Unfortunately racism still exists and there appears to be an increase in the amount of incidents occurring on community grounds”.

“While we don’t think it will solve the issue around racism in sport, we are confident that it will raise awareness around a stance against racism in football through a united voice in the community”.

In conjunction with the AFL Multicultural Round, Red Arm Band round will be employed to acknowledge and celebrate the cultural diversity of a significant number of players within the game.

AFL’s Multicultural Round celebrates ‘Many Cultures. One Game – Australia’s Game’ highlighting the extraordinary power Australian Rules Football has in bringing people together regardless of their background.

All WAAFL, WAWFL and Junior clubs are encouraged to feature additional activities throughout the round in order to further support the initiative.

Red Arm Band round will occur over the weekend of the 26 - 27th July.