Deconstructing white colonial legacies in sport and leisure in Australia

![CDATA[This paper investigates sport and leisure in Australia in relation to critical whiteness theory. While old hegemonies and unequal power relations still exist, the landscape of sport and leisure appears to be changing. This paper profiles three case studies from Australia that explore the current attempts at dismantling white colonial hierarchies and legacies. 1. We interrogate how despite the Commonwealth Games’ complex racial histories, they offer an impactful platform through which strengths and hopes might be realised and shared among indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. By elevating practices which contribute to constructing a collective rather than an individual future, we adopt a perspective that could complement Indigenous cultural approaches and understandings and contribute to the Commonwealth Games reconciliatory agenda. 2. This case study considers the voices and experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders players alongside those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds by unpacking the lives of players representing the “Matildas”, the Australian women’s football team. Players from diverse backgrounds are welcomed by the Matildas and encouraged to celebrate their cultural diversity and inclusion. However, members of the public still scrutinise the physical appearances of non-white players, with attempts to connect appearance with talent harking back to biological determinism. 3. We also explore the Swim Sisters, a swimming group in Sydney consisting mainly of Muslim women. The group was set up in response to the burkini ban in France to provide solidarity to women who wished to wear full-body swimwear at the pool or beach. Members of the group report receiving little negativity as they push the boundaries of what is considered the ‘norm’ in Australian swimming and enter what were traditionally white Anglo spaces of sport and leisure. Using an intersectionality lens based on strengths and hope, we share examples of bright lights where differences are being made in social spaces, resourcing, and business models.]]