AFL, athletics, football, rugby league and tennis lose out in latest AIS funding allocations

Introducing a program for the AIS to invest in sports with the greatest potential to deliver international success, Australian Sports Commission (ASC) Chair John Wylie AM said the 2014/15 investment of nearly $120 million

The AIS continued its focus on investing in sports with the greatest potential to deliver international success at the announcement of its annual investment allocations to sports today.

Australian Sports Commission (ASC) Chair John Wylie AM said the 2014/15 investment of nearly $120 million in AIS programs continues to be refined to ensure funding is aligned to sports with the greatest potential to contribute to Australia’s Winning Edge targets, explaining “the more focused funding approach has seen a total of $20 million be redirected in the past two years to sports with the greatest medal potential in Rio and beyond.

“Furthermore the financial support of athletes has never been greater with more than $12 million allocated to assist some 650 eligible athletes through the AIS’ Direct Athlete Support scheme.”

Sailing, Australia’s stand-out London Olympics success story, has secured an additional $1.25 million in funding, a rise of 20%, taking its total funding to more than $8 million for the coming year. It is now the second most heavily supported sport, behind only swimming, after overtaking rowing, cycling and athletics.

Other sports that will get more funding in the new round of investment are canoeing and kayaking, which has secured a $500,000 boost, water polo (up by $250,000) and the previously all but ignored taekwondo, which gets an injection of $300,000, a more than 600% rise. Swimming, in which Australia performed below expectations in London, also receives a rise of $250,000, taking its total funding to $9.031 million.

Sports with reduced funding are mainly professional sports such as rugby league, Australian rules and cricket, which have had their high performance funding cut back or discontinued altogether.

Cricket spending has been reduced by $200,000 to $1,316,000, rugby league by $190,660 to $616,000 and Australian Rules by $194,000 to $966,000.

The grants to rugby league and AFL will be used exclusively at grass roots level of the game while cricket has received a token $200,000 for high performance.

Commenting on this reallocation of funding, ASC Chief Executive Simon Hollingsworth stated “sports like AFL, cricket, rugby league and tennis are iconic sports for Australia.

“Given these sports generate large amounts of broadcast revenue the AIS considers it unnecessary to invest directly in their high performance outcomes.

“Alternative partnerships with these sports and the AIS will be pursued (with the AIS) financially supporting the large and active participation programs these sports provide for in 2014/15.”

The reduction in funding for athletics is seen to reflect the AIS’ continued dissatisfaction with the failure of merger plans between Athletics Australia and Little Athlectics.

Underpinning the moving of funding from major sports to lower-profile Olympic sports is an appreciation that small amounts of money can have a significant impact on more ‘smaller’ sports.

First announced in 2012, the Winning Edge program sets high targets for Australia to be a top five nation at the Olympics and Paralympics, top 15 at the winter Olympics and Paralympics, number one at the Commonwealth Games and have more than 20 world champions annually.

Commenting on the additional funding for sailing, AIS Director Matt Favier stated “sailing has received an increase based on past performances including London and its potential to contribute to Australia’s Olympic medal tally in Rio and beyond.

“This also represents a greater investment and support for sailing’s emerging athletes for the 2020 Olympics.’’

Canoe-kayak sports have been targeted as key medal winners for Australia after a gold medal triumph by the K4 team in London and a subsequent world championship win by Beijing gold medallist Ken Wallace.

The funding allocation also includes nearly $20 million for grassroots sports through participation grants to NSOs.

Hollingsworth concludes that “this will enable sports to capitalise on the opportunity of the ASC’s flagship participation program, Sporting Schools, announced in the recent Federal Budget.” 

Sports that will get additional AIS funding:

Sailing: up $1.25 million to $8.096 million

Canoe/kayak: up $500,000 to $4.808 million

Taekwondo: up $300,000 to $355,000

Water polo: up $275,000 to $3.446 million

Swimming: up $250,000 to $9.031 million

Rowing: up $200,000 to $7.489 million

Sports that will get less funding:

Athletics: down $100,000 to $6.766 million

AFL: down $194,000 to $966,000

Cricket: down $200,000 to $1.316 million

Football: down $350,000 to $2.866 million

Modern pentathlon: down $25,000 to $25,000

Rugby league: down $190,660 to $616,000

Squash: down $220,000 to $818,400

Surf lifesaving: down $405,000 to $862,000

Tennis: down $400,000 to $966,000

Top 10 AIS funded sports

1. Swimming $9.031 million

2. Sailing $8.096 million

3. Cycling $7.952 million

4. Rowing $7.489 million

5. Athletics $6.766 million

6. Hockey $6.501 million

7. Basketball $5.556 million

8. Canoe/kayak $4.808 million

9. Water polo $3.446 million

10. Gymnastics $3.188 million

Click here to see a video link with AIS Director Matt Favier commenting on the funding.

10th May 2014 - FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BACKS TOP ATHLETES WITH NEW FUNDS

4th April 2014 - ASC CHAIR CALLS FOR ATHLETICS BODIES TO MERGE

12th May 2013 - ENCOURAGING TOP-CLASS INNOVATION TO FIND AUSTRALIA’S WINNING EDGE