ACT Brumbies Voice controversy a lesson amid complex social conversations

Such was the criticism directed towards the franchise following revelations of a decision not to have a formal stance on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

The move was poorly handled, the board voting unanimously before consulting with the club's Indigenous Cultural Advisory Group, players or staff.

It also came two days before Rugby Australia officially endorsed the Voice to Parliament.

The optics were poor. The Brumbies came across as an outlier, a state body at odds with the national governing body and to some, providing implicit support for the "No" campaign.

It's a view ACT chairman Matt Nobbs was at pains to put to bed when announcing his organisation's official support for the Voice.

But Nobbs was also the first to put his hand up and admit the board had made a number of mistakes in the past few weeks, not least the lack of consultation with the Indigenous Cultural Advisory Group.

The chairman has seen first hand how much work the Brumbies have put into establishing First Nations pathways and providing opportunities for Indigenous boys and girls to play the sport.

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The club has established talent identification camps and a formal pathway program to provide a route to the top level.

Saturday night will mark the Brumbies' Indigenous Round, an annual celebration of First Nations culture. The team will wear a commemorative jersey in a match designated long before last week's controversy.

By almost every measure, the club is doing an excellent job in the effort to close the gap. Andy Muirhead headlines a growing list of Indigenous players in the men's and women's programs.

It's why it was so surprising to see the board kick such a big own goal.

The response, however, should be praised. Nobbs quickly owned up to the mistake of not consulting the Indigenous Cultural Advisory Group and held a number of conversations with the body in the past week.

Many of these discussions were not easy but there was a shared understanding of the situation and a desire to chart a united path forward.

The end result was Monday's announcement of support for the Voice and a determination not to make the same mistakes in the future.

The move will be largely praised but will no doubt cop some criticism. There is a desire from some to keep sport out of politics.

There are times in which such a view has legs, but it also fails to recognise the important role sport can play in facilitating positive social change.

Nobbs was reminded of this in conversations with former Wallaby Tony Abrahams, one of the instigators of the decision to boycott a tour to South Africa during the height of Apartheid.

The move was brave and there was severe blow back at the time, but the squad is now praised for their willingness to stand up for what was right.

Nobbs learnt a lot from his conversations with Abrahams and he will keep those lessons front of mind as the Brumbies navigate controversial social issues in the future.

The chairman recognises it is not his, or his team's, job to tell people how to live their lives. It is, however, their job to raise awareness for important social issues and play a role in improving society.

That's the power of sport, whether people like it or not.

So while Nobbs recognises some would rather sport and politics don't mix, he hopes the Brumbies can use their platform to educate and inform. From there, it's up to the individual to make personal decisions.

"For an issue like the Voice, it's about giving them the information so they can make an informed decision," Nobbs said.

"I think that's the best we can do."

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