Pride Cup fosters inclusion for LGBTIQ+ individuals across all sports, promoting acceptance and pride in identity.
Sport is at the heart of Australian culture, but participation levels within the LGBTIQ+ community are extremely low. Pride Cup is challenging homophobia and transphobia within sporting clubs — making them more welcoming for LGBTIQ+ fans, players and officials.
By connecting with community clubs of all codes to help them run their own Pride Cup matches and attend our education sessions, we are empowering them to become leaders for inclusivity and diversity in their communities.
Pride Cup has grown exponentially since the first game out in Yarra Glen – with over 515 clubs involved in a Pride Cup event across a wide array of sporting codes – from footy, to hockey, roller derby to lawn bowls, netball, water polo and beyond.
Pride Cup events are joyous, celebratory statements of love and acceptance for LGBTIQ+ players, spectators and members of the local community that have an immediate and direct impact.
The impact Pride Cup has is significant – reducing homophobic language in sporting clubs by up to 40% when a Pride Cup event and education session is held. These impacts ripple out into the wider community, making entire communities safer and more inclusive for it’s LGBTIQ+ members.
But a lot of work still has to be done to make sport safe and inclusive for everyone – only 51% of participants interviewed strongly disagreed that homosexuality is wrong or unnatural.
Join a movement for change that transcends sport, host your own Pride Cup or donate today.
Our History
Pride Cup began as a powerful gesture of mateship in a country footy club and has grown into a national movement for change that unites communities.
When Jason Ball publicly came out as gay in 2012, his teammates from the Yarra Glen Football Netball Club wanted to show him they had his back.
The team came up with the idea to stage a Pride Cup, with players wearing rainbow jumpers, and 50 metre lines painted in rainbow colours.
It was an event that galvanised the entire community and became the inspiration for the now annual AFL Pride Game, first played between St Kilda FC and Sydney Swans in 2016.
Since hitting the national stage, communities across Australia have joined the movement, with Pride Cups being expanded into other sporting codes nationally.
Our Team
Hayley Conway (She/Her)
CEO
Hayley Conway is the CEO of Pride Cup, bringing over 15 years of experience working for LGBTQI equality in Australia and overseas.
Prior to joining Pride Cup, Hayley held a range of roles across the for-purpose and private sectors specialising in communications and political campaigns. She holds a Masters with Distinction from RMIT, is a 2022 Leadership Victoria Williamson Fellow, and volunteer firefighter with the Victorian Country Fire Authority.
Caitlin Bunker (She/Her)
Engagement Director
Caitlin Bunker is an accomplished marketing, fundraising and campaigns professional, with a passion for designing creative campaigns that lead to social change.
Caitlin has spent the last five years in the international aid sector executing multiple fundraising, advocacy, brand awareness, and digital marketing campaigns, complemented by her adept stakeholder management skills.
Beyond the professional realm, Caitlin is the current VFLW Captain at the Darebin Falcons, having previously captained the Collingwood Football Club, to three minor premierships and a premiership in 2019 as Vice Captain. As a proud LBGTQIA+ community member, Caitlin aims to foster inclusive and supportive environments in both her sporting and professional teams, encouraging individuals to bring their authentic selves to every endeavor.
Marnee Silver (They/Them)
Merchandise and Logistics Officer
Growing up in rural Northern NSW, Marnee has experience playing and coaching sport in rural towns and now in big cities such as Melbourne. With over 12 years of AFL experience as a player, they are currently Senior coach of the W team at West Brunswick football club and working as a Coach developer for AFL VIC. Marnee really values inclusivity and amplifying diverse experiences to enrich the programs they work in.
Our Board
Holly Ransom (She/Her)
Chair of the Board
Named one of Australia’s 100 Most Influential Women by the Australian Financial Review, Holly is widely recognized as one of the world’s top female keynote speakers. She has delivered a Peace Charter to the Dalai Lama, interviewed Barack Obama on stage, was Sir Richard Branson’s nominee for Wired Magazine’s ‘Smart List’ of Future Game Changers to watch in 2017 and was awarded the US Embassy’s Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Leadership Excellence in 2019. Founder of Space, a new type of unconference in Byron last year and currently studying her Masters of public policy at Harvard, Holly is Chair of Pride Cup Australia, an organisation that works with all levels of sport to increase positive LGBTI visibility and engagement.
Karen Skinner (She/Her)
Vice-President
Karen brings to the Board experience from a range of sectors including Sport, Start-ups and social change. As the Head of Respect and Inclusion at New Zealand Rugby, Karen led a comprehensive culture change program across grass roots and high performance teams. As Australian National Director of Change.org she scaled the platform in Australia to nearly 5 millions users in four and half years there. She also has a background in social change and community engagement programs, including working with unions and environmental groups. Throughout her career she has been a strong advocate for inclusion and diversity.
Jason Ball (He/Him)
Board Member
Since coming out in the national media in 2012, Jason has become a figurehead on combating homophobia in sport and highlighting the damaging impact of homophobia on the mental health and wellbeing of the LGBTIQ community. This leadership has seen Jason take up ambassadorial roles at Beyond Blue, the Safe Schools Coalition, the Victorian Pride Centre, the Human Rights Arts & Film Festival, Midsumma Festival and the Melbourne Queer Film Festival. Jason’s advocacy was the driving force behind the AFL’s first ever Pride Game played between St Kilda in Sydney in 2016, and in 2018 he co-founded Pride Cup Australia alongside James Lolicato. In 2017 Jason was awarded Young Australian of the Year for Victoria.
Rochelle Pattison (She/Her)
Board Member
Rochelle co-founded Chimaera Capital in 1996 – delivering services that underpin a diverse range of investment activities (including investment management, custody and deal structuring) across Australia, Africa and Asia. She has been an Executive and Non-Executive Director on publicly listed companies.
Rochelle is deeply honoured to have been included in the Deloitte Outstanding 50 LGBTI+ Leaders of 2020 and is an experienced National and Global Keynote Speaker and panellist. As a speaker, her presentations focus on sharing knowledge of the transgender experience and the joy that comes from authentic living.
Angus Lade (He/Him)
Board Member
Angus is an experience people and culture leader with deep expertise designing corporate diversity and inclusion both in consulting and internal portfolio capacities. Currently aCulture and People Experience Leader at Commonwealth Bank, Angus adopts data and evidence informed approach to culture and behaviour change with a strong background in corporate policy and program design, strategy review and design, and inclusive leadership development. Angus has always been a vocal advocate for LGBTQI+ inclusion in workplaces and brings this vigour to Pride Cup with a particular focus on building cross-sector partnership and collaboration to amplify and scale impact.
Kelly Townson (She/Her)
Board Member
Kelly is the Group General Manager of the Crown Resorts Foundation and Community Partnerships Programs. With over 25 years of experience across tourism, hospitality, entertainment, higher education, training, and financial industries across some of the world’s leading brands, Kelly’s expertise covers strategic marketing, brand building, partnership development, stakeholder engagement, and advocating for the customer.
Kelly is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and serves as a non-executive director with the Perth Football Club, the Curtin University Business School Alumni, and as a member of the marketing and sponsorships sub-committee for the Western Australian Football Commission. She has previously sat on the Governing Council of South Metropolitan TAFE and the Bicycling WA board.
Natalie Truong (She/Her)
Board Member
As the Chief Marketing Officer at EY Oceania, Natalie is responsible for strategically delivering marketing capabilities across Australia, New Zealand, PNG, and Fiji. With a focus on driving demand generation, revenue growth, and client-centric partnerships, Natalie has made significant contributions to positioning the EY brand prominently across the region.
Natalie’s senior roles at leading organizations such as Mercer, ANZ Banking Group, Bank of Melbourne (Westpac), IOOF, and CPA Australia showcase her dedication to marketing and commercial excellence.
Natalie’s leadership extends beyond her professional roles; she is the Chair of The Marketing Society, Hong Kong. Holding an Executive MBA and a Bachelor of Commerce, Natalie brings a unique blend of strategic vision and operational prowess to our Board.
Braden Hill (He/Him)
Board Advisor
Professor Braden Hill is a Nyungar (Wardandi) man from the south-west of Western Australia and the Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Equity and Indigenous) and Head of Kurongkurl Katitjin, Edith Cowan University’s (ECU) Centre for Indigenous Australian Education and Research. He is also a proud member of Western Australia’s LGBTIQ+ community. He has significant experience in Aboriginal education, as well as leading a range of equity initiatives including Athena SWAN, Respect Now Always, Reconciliation Action Plan and Disabilities and Access Inclusion Plan and LGBTIQ+ inclusion within the university sector. Professor Hill’s research interests include Indigenous education, identity politics, queer identities in education and transformative learning.
Simon Ruth (He/Him)
Board Advisor
Simon Ruth is CEO of Thorne Harbour Health. He has over 25 years of experience working in health and human services in both the charitable and health sectors. Simon is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has previously sat on the Boards of peak bodies, charities and statutory authorities. Formerly the Victorian AIDS Council, Thorne Harbour Health is Australia’s oldest HIV/AIDS organisation and provides a range of HIV and LGBTI health services across Victoria and South Australia.
Our Education Facilitators
Em McGowan (He/They)
VIC
Em is a proud queer and trans athlete, playing water polo for the Victorian Phoenix in the Australian Water Polo League. He is passionate about seeing his community meaningfully included and represented in sport, and enjoys supporting clubs to make their spaces welcoming and safe for everyone. Outside of sport, Em is a research chemist and loves visiting new swimming spots with their friends.
Alex Potter (They/Them)
VIC
Alex is a life time soccer player, as well as committee member and part time coach for a Women and Gender Diverse specific soccer club in Melbourne. They work in the health system DEI Director for a public health service. Alex is a member of the Victorian LGBTIQA+ Taskforce and the Chair of the Taskforce’s Health and Wellbeing Group; and a Speaker for the Victorian Pride Centre’s Speakers Bureau.
Carly Salmon (She/Her)
ACT
Carly was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy at 18 months of age and was told she would never be able to play sport. With the belief of her family, she has worked hard to defy those odds and has competed in athletics, volleyball and soccer at an elite level. Carly has competed in numerous Athletics World Championships and at the 2018 Commonwealth Games as a 100m and 200m sprinter. She is the current co-captain of the Paramatildas football team, where she plays as both a midfielder and goal keeper.
Outside of sport, Carly has a passion for working with young people and is a Primary School Physical Education Specialist.
Alex Watson (They/Them)
NSW
With a background spanning both marketing and hospitality management, Alex brings a versatile skill set and a people-first approach to every project. Originally from New York and now based in Australia, Alex has worked on high-profile advertising campaigns - including for the NFL - delivering creative strategy with impact.
Alex is also the Outreach Manager for The Flying Bats Football Club, the world’s largest LGBTIQ+ football club. They lead communications, programming, and events that help foster visibility, connection, and community. They are passionate about creating inclusive spaces - where everyone feels seen, valued, and empowered to participate.
Charity King (She/Her)
NSW
California born, Sydney based and proudly queer, Charity is a former gymnast and cheerleader turned passionate advocate for inclusion in sport and community.
With a decade-long career as a Sports Nutritionist, she’s dedicated to helping individuals and teams find their happy, healthy balance and align their actions with their values both on and off the field. Now an educator with Pride Cup and Co-founder of community group Fusion Pride Northern Beaches, Charity is on a mission to make sport safer, more inclusive and welcoming for all.
These days, her sporting life includes hiking, natural bodybuilding and the early (but enthusiastic) stages of a love affair with tennis — skill pending, vibes strong.
Rudy Jean Rigg (They/Them)
VIC
Before stepping into media and advocacy, Rudy Jean Rigg was a nationally ranked elite badminton player. Now, they channel that same energy into bold, boundary-pushing storytelling that advocates for queer, neurodivergent and chronically ill communities.
Rudy is a multi award-winning, Webby-nominated host, writer and creator, best known for co-creating Rainbow History Class, the two-time Shorty Award-winning series sharing the queer and trans history you don’t get in school. They also co-wrote and hosted TransAthletica, a Screen Australia-funded docuseries exploring the barriers trans people face in sport.
They’ve performed at comedy and fringe festivals, hosted ABC’s digital coverage of Sydney WorldPride 2023, and created Off The Handle — Instagram’s first podcast — where they interviewed artists like Girl in Red, Cody Simpson and Jessica Mauboy.
When they’re not making things, Rudy’s likely playing Dungeons & Dragons or curled up with their cats.
Kalinda Robinson (She/Her)
QLD
Kalinda Robinson is a former elite track sprint cyclist and an IOC Young Leader (2025–2028), dedicated to using sport as a platform for positive social change. Drawing on her lived experience as an athlete and advocate, Kalinda is developing a project called Sport in Colour, an initiative aimed at promoting LGBTQIA+ inclusion in sport through education, youth leadership, and increased visibility. Kalinda brings lived experience to the role, with a strong focus on community impact. She is passionate about creating safer, more inclusive environments in sport where everyone, regardless of gender identity, sexuality, or background, feels seen, supported, and able to thrive.
Pride Cup is proudly supported by:
