RMIT Elite Athlete Program

Am I eligible?

Elite Athlete eligibility

To qualify as an Elite Athlete, you must be at least one of the following:

• National Squad member from a Sport Australia recognised and funded sport.
• AIS scholarship holder.
• VIS scholarship holder.
• Member of any of the following:
  • AFL Players Association.
  • Australian Cricketers’ Association.
  • Rugby Union Players Association.
  • Rugby League Professionals’ Association.
  • Professional Footballers Australia.
  • Australian Netball Players' Association (ANPA). 
     

Emerging Athlete eligibility

To qualify as an Emerging Athlete, you must be at least one of the following:

• State Squad member from a Sport Australia recognised and funded sport.
• Listed senior player in the top division of the following Victorian state based competitions (or interstate equivalent): 
  • Victorian Football League (VFL and VFL Women's).
  • NPL VIC (top division and seniors).
  • NRL Victoria (first Grade).
  • Rugby Dewar Shield (seniors).
  • Victorian Premier Cricket (first division and seniors).
  • NBL1 South.
  • Premier League Hockey (senior team).
  • Victorian Netball League (VNL). 
• For time-based events such as swimming, athletics and rowing, met the entry standards for the open age category and competed at the most recent Australian Nationals.
  

Esports

To qualify as an esports Elite or Emerging athlete you must fulfill the following requirements:

1. You must be competing in a current AEL affiliated game, or a well-established, international game of an appropriate genre.

Factors for whether the game is considered a well-established, international game of an appropriate genre:

• Whether the game is currently estimated to be in the top 10 for international earnings and player count.
• Total number of game competitions (tournaments or leagues), and competition prize money. 
• The presence of an established international code of conduct. 
• The game genre and whether it aligns with RMIT values and student conduct requirements.

2. You must be contracted with a professional organisation to play the specific game; or in the absence of a contract must be competing at a national level demonstrated by your results from the past 12 months, current ranking, and player earnings.

Factors for whether an organisation is considered professional: 

• Player travel commitments, training requirements, and salaries. 
• Commitments to particular competitions or leagues and its ranking.
• Support staff and other services offered to players.
• Current organisation sponsorship.
• ABN validation (or similar).

The level of competition will determine whether the esports athlete is classified as elite or emerging. E.g. Students competing at an international level may be categorised as elite, while students competing at a national level may be categorised as emerging.

Additional Eligibility information

• Equivalent coaches and umpires will be considered (e.g. national or state squad coaches, or those involved in national or top division state leagues from sports recognised and funded by Sport Australia).
• Exceptional circumstances may be applied in the event you can demonstrate a pathway back to meeting the eligibility criteria in the next 12 months (e.g. previously in a national or state squad and returning from a substantive injury, returning from retirement, or relocating to Australia from abroad).
• Students enrolled in non-award programs will not be considered.
• For applicants currently undertaking Australian Year 12 (or equivalent), participation in underage state squads and competitions may be considered when assessing whether you meet the required level of competition.

Interested in engaging with our elite athletes? 

Interested businesses can engage with our elite athletes in various ways including: 

• guest speaking at corporate events 
• mentoring elite athletes and career development opportunities 
• partnership and branding opportunities 
• sponsorship and scholarships.

RMIT is dedicated to supporting our athletes while they study and creating opportunities to aid their transition into the workforce. To discuss your opportunity with the team, please register your interest below.