The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) has responded to a recent advertisement for an unpaid physiotherapist role within a national women’s rugby league program. While we acknowledge this advertisement has since been amended, the initial offer sparked significant concern across our member base and the broader health and sporting community.

Physiotherapists play an essential role in safeguarding the health, recovery and performance of athletes—whether at local or elite national levels. This critical work involves injury prevention, rehabilitation, on-field care and ongoing treatment and management, requiring considerable time commitments that go well beyond what can be reasonably expected of a volunteer role. To undervalue this expertise by offering unpaid or underpaid positions misrepresents the professional skill, accountability and contribution that physiotherapists bring to sport.

The APA recognises that in the right context volunteerism can offer important opportunities for development, mentorship and community connection. However, it is not appropriate to expect highly qualified health practitioners to work without adequate remuneration in elite, high-performance or professional sporting environments.

It is particularly troubling that these expectations often persist in women’s sport. Just as women athletes have long fought for fair pay and conditions, so too must we ensure the professional teams behind them — including physiotherapists, strength and conditioning coaches, and other high-performance staff — are equally recognised and valued. The growing profile of women’s sport must be matched by growing professionalism across all levels of its operations.

This is part of a broader systemic issue that continues to undervalue allied health professionals in elite sport. The APA is joined by our professional peers, including the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association, in calling for appropriate recognition and remuneration for all practitioners who contribute to the success and safety of Australia’s athletes.

The APA stands ready to work constructively with clubs, codes and sporting organisations to help develop sustainable and respectful models of workforce engagement. We have written to the sporting club in question, and we are actively seeking engagement with the Australian Sports Commission and peak sporting codes, including the NRL and AFL, to advocate for system-wide change.

Recognising the true value of physiotherapy in sport is not only fair — it is vital to the ongoing health, safety and success of Australian athletes at every level.