Community gymnastics facilities end affiliation with Gymnastics Australia

More than 90 gymnastics facilities across Australia have ceased affiliation of their recreational programs with the sport’s governing bodies.

As reported today by the Code Sports website, the ongoing conflict between community facilities and Gymnastics Australia and its state bodies over affiliation fees has seen 98 operators now affiliate their recreational programs with private provider Recreational Gymnastics Australia (RGA) which offers accreditation and other essential services at a much lower cost than those charged by state associations.

As reported by Code Sports, these clubs have registered their recreational business with RGA to minimise costs and access more relevant services, while keeping their competitive gymnasts registered with the governing bodies so they can access pathways to compete in state and national championships.

However, clubs are reportedly being pressured into also registering their recreational programs with the governing bodies, amid threats of bans on their competitive gymnasts taking part in competitions.

Code Sports referenced Toowoomba-based Allstars Gymnastics which has reportedly seen its gymnasts barred from competition.

It has also been reported that clubs wanting to switch to RGA - operated by the Belgravia Group, owners of Belgravia Leisure, Belgravia Health and Fitness and JUMP! Swim Schools - also fear seeing their young athletes excluded from events run by Gymnastics Australia and its state bodies.

PCYC Queensland, which has more than 25 venues and is government funded, has renamed its 0-5 years gymnastics programs and de-affiliated it with Gymnastics Queensland, yet its competitive programs have not been banned from Gymnastics Queensland competition.

Advising that the evolution of the sport into one powered by small businesses across the country meant a rethink on administration was required, RGA General Manager, Jo Richards told Code Sports “it’s not a community basketball club where the coaches are all volunteers and there’s no one earning a living.

“The livelihoods of the business are impacted by this and it also has an impact on the livelihoods of those employed as coaches.

“If those small businesses at grassroots level disappear it would be almost impossible for not-for-profit clubs to materialise and take their place these days.”

Noting that gymnastics should be following the lead shown by other sports, Richards added “the best example is Learn to Swim, being the same principle as Gymnastics’ Learn to Move; physical literacy for young kids.”

In the background the sport has been tarnished at an elite level in the current decade with a 2021 review of gymnastics finding the sport had enabled a culture of physical, emotional and sexual abuse while also creating negative societal stereotypes and ideals around gender for participants.

Within a year of the review, then Gymnastics Australia Chief Executive Kitty Chiller, widely criticised for limiting the review’s scope, had departed while a separate report into the West Australian Institute of Sport (WAIS) Women's Artistic Gymnastics program that ran from 1988 to 2016 found evidence of trauma and abuse experienced by girls and young female athletes.

Only as of May this year has the WAIS matter moved to conclusion with the Western Australian Government offering payments and counselling to former participants.

Despite these scandals and the administrative battle in the sport, gymnastics is growing in popularity.

In November last year, research from the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) revealed that an estimated 122,000 extra children took part in gymnastics during the year with the sport now the second most popular activity for girls with 465,000 annual participants and being ranked fifth for boys with 191,000 participants.

More recently, Gymnastics Australia, without a Chief Executive since Alexandra Ash resigned in January after just 19 months in the role, launched ‘Discover the Freedom’ campaign inviting people to join the sport’s community and to “unlock the freedom to explore, excel, and thrive”.

The campaign has emerged from workshops on the future of the sport held earlier in the year instigated by Gymnastics Australia interim Chief Executive Chris O’Brien.

Code Sports has advised that it has attempted to get comment from Gymnastics Australia but has not received any response.

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