‘Sportswashing’ – from Fifa to NZ

The Fifa World Cup is one example, but New Zealand events and teams are not exempt from enabling organisations to rehabilitate tarnished reputations,

The word ‘‘sportswashing’’ is being heard a lot during the Fifa Football World Cup in Qatar, but a leading expert says it also happens in New Zealand.

Sportswashing is when a country or organisation uses sport to improve their image, and either hide or rehabilitate a tarnished reputation. This is done by either hosting major sporting events – like the Fifa World Cup – or owning or sponsoring sports teams, Otago University professor and sport in society and culture expert Steve Jackson said.

World Cup host Qatar – a conservative Muslim country – has been in the spotlight for their use of migrant workers to build the World Cup infrastructure including stadiums, and for their treatment of the LGBTQI+ community and women. It is illegal to be gay in Qatar and women face restrictions regarding marriage, movement and jobs.

In 2021, several foreign women, including a New Zealander, were also subjected to invasive non-consensual gynaecological searches before boarding a flight from Doha, an incident which Qatar apologised for, but which the women’s lawyer said highlighted ongoing rights’ concerns in the build-up to the World Cup.

‘‘Sometimes there’s a tendency in the west to point fingers at things that they themselves are engaged in. It comes down to a matter of degree ... almost every major sporting team in some way, shape or form is probably complicit in terms of sportswashing,’’ Jackson said.

‘‘That includes New Zealand teams like the All Blacks. They’ve had sponsors like AIG that were involved in corruption in terms of people’s pension funds in America. You have Adidas where there have been claims about labour exploitation. You have sponsors like Ineos, which is pretty much engaging in sportswashing [and] greenwashing, given their record in terms of the petroleum industry.’’

New Zealand Rugby signed a six-year deal with Ineos in 2021, enabling the global chemical company to be the official performance partner of the All Blacks, Black Ferns, All Blacks Sevens, Black Ferns Sevens, Ma¯ori All Blacks, All Blacks XV and All Blacks Under-20s. The partnership was speculated to be worth more than $8 million.

At the time, the partnership was met with opposition from Greenpeace, with senior campaigner Steve Abel saying NZ Rugby should not ‘‘sell our soul to an English oil corporate’’. More than 100 high-profile New Zealanders, including former All Blacks and musician Neil Finn, signed a letter urging NZ Rugby not to partner with Ineos.

Ineos also sponsored the recent Rugby World Cup held in New Zealand – won by the Black Ferns – and has sponsorship deals in Formula 1, cycling, sailing and football.

NZ Rugby said in a statement that it is ‘‘proud to partner with Adidas, Ineos and our other key global partners, both past and present.

‘‘[We are] grateful for the support they provide for our teams in black, and for our aligned goal of growing the wider game of rugby both in Aotearoa and around the world.’’

New Zealand will also co-host the Fifa Women’s Football World Cup with Australia in July and August 2023. Jackson said the countries aren’t engaging in sportswashing ‘‘in terms of some image they are trying to hide’’, rather it’s Fifa which is trying to rehabilitate its image.

‘‘[Fifa] are engaging in sports washing, because they’re hiding. They’re using the beautiful landscapes of these countries, they’re using the wonderful atmosphere, they’re using the resources, the stadia and security and the money that’s paid by media, corporate sponsors and nations as hosts as well. We shouldn’t forget that angle on things,’’ he said.

Fifa, football’s governing body, has faced scrutiny for corruption, bribery and the processes surrounding the selection of World Cup hosts, including Qatar, Russia and South Africa. Historically, it has also aligned with countries run by dictators including Argentina in 1978 and Italy in 1934. Fifa’s history was put in the spotlight via the recent Netflix four-part documentary series Fifa Uncovered in which FBI agents classified Fifa as organised crime.

In the past week Fifa has faced backlash for its approach to inclusion and diversity at the World Cup. Fifa has cracked down on human rights, rainbow and diversity emblems, including One Love diversity and inclusion armbands, and said it would impose penalties for any players and teams who breached it.

It led to Germany protesting on the field by covering their mouths in a team photo, and Belgium’s Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib confronting Fifa President Gianni Infantino while wearing a One Love armband. Jackson describes the football World Cup as an exercise in sportswashing ‘‘from start to finish’’.

‘‘For the average football fan, that’s not the kind of thing they want to know, but it’s becoming increasingly important that they understand what’s going on because of the effects it has on everyday people,’’ he said.

Sports Minister Grant Robertson said in a statement that issues occur ‘‘wherever you are in the world’’ but the most important thing is to ‘‘keep talking about them’’.

‘‘I think football – and sport in general – does have a role to play in enhancing human rights. That’s what we want to do, when New Zealand and Australia host the Women’s World Cup next year,’’ he said.