Sport strengthened by renewed relationship with Defence

07 July 2023

Australian rowing coaches preparing for Paris 2024 will be some of the first to benefit from a renewed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Australian Sports Commission (ASC) and Australian Army.

From left, Deputy Chief of Army Major General Cheryl Pearce AM CSC, ASC CEO Kieren Perkins OAM, EGM AIS Performance Matti Clements and Chief of Army Lieutenant General Simon Stuart AO DSC at the MOU signing.

Building on the relationship first forged with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) in 2020, ASC CEO Kieren Perkins OAM and Executive General Manager of AIS Performance Matti Clements joined Chief of Army, Lieutenant General Simon Stuart AO DSC, and Deputy Chief of Army, Major General Cheryl Pearce AM CSC to sign the MoU in Canberra.

“The renewed Memorandum of Understanding between the ASC and Australian Army will provide unique benefits and experiences for our athletes, coaches and sports, especially those preparing for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Mr Perkins said.

“Our Australian rowing coaches have already booked a session at the Combat Training Centre at Lavarack Barracks in Townsville as part of their Olympic preparations. I look forward to seeing how the sharing of knowledge will assist in their Paris campaign.”

Lieutenant General Simon Stuart said the partnership will bring soldiers and athletes together to build resilience and share skills.

“There are many similarities between athletes and soldiers,” Lieutenant General Stuart said.

“I’m keen to see what we can learn working with the Australian Sports Commission and the AIS to enhance the performance and experience of our soldiers.”

The renewed MoU will continue to focus on key shared areas such as human performance optimisation, coaching, briefing and debriefings, and organisational learnings, as well as explore new areas including supporting and increasing Indigenous representation in sport.