With more than 1,600 members across Australia participating in basketball, netball, futsal, pickleball, and roller-skating, QSA is Australia’s largest and premier LGBTQIA+ sporting club and provides safe, welcoming spaces where athletes can play, connect, and belong both on and off the court.
Bendigo Bank Chief Marketing Officer, Sarah Bateson, said the partnership reflects the Bank’s deep commitment to building inclusive communities.
“We believe that community sports should be accessible, safe, and welcoming for absolutely everyone, which is why we are incredibly proud to partner with the Queer Sporting Alliance,” said Sarah Bateson, Chief Marketing Officer for Bendigo Bank.
“This sponsorship aligns with our core purpose of championing equality and fostering a true sense of belonging. We look forward to supporting QSA's growth into regional areas and seeing the positive impact of initiatives like the Bendigo Bank Rainbow Round,” she said.
Under the partnership, Bendigo Bank will sponsor the quarterly ‘Bendigo Bank Rainbow Rounds’ in the QSA Basketball League (Q League). The sponsorship will directly reduce barriers to entry by keeping membership fees affordable, subsidising court hire, and funding match umpires and dedicated on-site player wellbeing officers.
The purpose of Rainbow Rounds is to mark special occasions or events by introducing special “rules” to add an additional layer of fun for players. In line with Bendigo Bank's active culture of inclusion, Bendigo Bank staff will be invited to volunteer and actively participate in the initiative.
Bendigo Bank is proud to be the only ASX 100 company headquartered in regional Australia and operates Australia’s second largest regional branch network. In June 2026 Bendigo Bank was named Employer of the Year at the Annual Australian LGBTQ+ Inclusion Awards, the nation’s leading celebration of workplace inclusion.
The partnership coincides with QSA’s plans for regional expansion, which includes two new basketball competitions commencing in regional Victoria beginning with the Macedon Ranges, with another competition in the City of Casey scheduled for late 2026.
Bindy Cohen, Executive Director of the Queer Sporting Alliance, is excited to have Bendigo Bank on board to help the organisation dismantle barriers in community sport for its members.
“The Rainbow Round is a major highlight on our Q League calendar, and having Bendigo Bank’s support makes a tremendous difference. As the world’s first mixed league with non-gendered rules—spanning teams in Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane, Sydney, Hobart, Launceston, and Canberra—this partnership will help support us in removing barriers and welcoming even more members into social sport and the QSA community.”
This sponsorship is the latest chapter in Bendigo Bank’s long-standing legacy of backing grassroots sports, building on the $110 million invested into local sports and recreation clubs across Australia since 1999.
For more information about the QSA visit: https://www.queersportingalliance.com/
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