Cricket Ireland has launched a new Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Strategy, a key component to its long-term success.
The strategy establishes a proactive approach to broadening participation, providing fair access, and creating equal opportunities, ensuring cricket is a welcoming environment for everyone.
Some of the strategy’s key pillars are promoting gender equality in relation to women’s and girls’ cricket, building diversity and inclusion awareness and understanding at all levels across the sport, and improving inclusive practices through processes and policies.
Putting tactics to the strategy, an e-learning course will launch this month, available to all clubs. The course aims to engage a significant number of club officials and adult members by February 2025.
An anti-discrimination campaign will be rolled out at all levels, with dedicated resources and collateral to promote awareness and action across clubs before the 2025 cricket season.
An inclusive practice toolkit, offering practical guidance and best practices for promoting inclusion at all levels of the game, will be piloted in clubs by early 2025.
Cricket Ireland is also creating a guide that will strengthen the tools, guidelines, and support available to disciplinary committees to ensure processes are fair, transparent, and consistent across all levels of cricket.
It will regularly share updates on progress, with annual ‘Activation Workshops’ in each region to gather insights and feedback from members.
The strategy has been developed with input from across the cricketing community, drawing on a game-wide consultation and the support of the national EDI Working Group, chaired by Elaine Nolan and including representatives from every Provincial Union.
“Cricket is a sport for all,” said Cricket Ireland Chair Brian MacNeice, launching the plan.
“Our ambition is to ensure we create an environment for cricket in Ireland that embraces and celebrates our diversity.”
“This strategy sets out our approach to create a more equitable and welcoming sport. EDI has become a key priority for me as Chair of Cricket Ireland, as we recognise the need to create positive cricketing experiences for everyone, from grassroots to elite levels, and have set clear ambitions and targets to ensure progress.”
“We are incredibly grateful to everyone involved in this process – particularly the club members across the island of Ireland who shared their experiences—and our EDI Working Group, who dedicated their time and expertise. Our goal is for cricket to thrive and for everyone to enjoy participating in all aspects of the sport.”
“Over the next several months, we will deliver key actions outlined in the strategy, which will be essential in shaping a more inclusive future for cricket in Ireland. These initiatives are just the beginning of a long-term effort to make cricket a welcoming, accessible sport for all.”
“At Cricket Ireland, we recognise that the strength of our sport comes from the diversity of our players, coaches, officials, volunteers, fans, and communities, added Director of Growth and Strategy Elaine Nolan.
“This EDI strategy is not just about policy—it’s about creating meaningful change in how we engage with people from all walks of life, ensuring that cricket is a sport where everyone feels welcome, valued, and can thrive.”
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