Cheerleading in Australia has grown significantly from its sideline origins into a competitive acrobatic sport — particularly all-star cheerleading and competitive cheer at a national level. Cheer Australia governs the sport. Clubs, competitions, and athlete development all need funding. This guide covers the key sources.
Cheer Australia is the national governing body for cheerleading and associated dance and stunt disciplines:
- National championship events
- Club affiliation and development
- Pathway for elite competitive cheerleaders
Contact Cheer Australia and your state association for access to Sport Australia investment and national programme guidance.
Sport Australia funds cheerleading through Cheer Australia:
- National programme investment
- Participation growth
State sport agencies fund community cheer programmes:
- NSW Office of Sport: Community sport including cheer clubs
- Sport and Recreation Victoria: Cheer club development
- Queensland, WA, SA, TAS: State equivalents
Gaming grants are important for cheer clubs:
- NSW ClubGRANTS: Equipment and programme grants for community sport clubs
- State gaming trusts: Equipment, uniforms, competition travel
Typical gaming grant applications for cheer clubs:
- Cheerleading mats and safety equipment
- Uniforms and costumes for competition
- Competition entry fees and travel
- Gym equipment: Tumbling strips, springboards
Cheerleading requires specialised equipment:
- Competition spring floors: High-cost infrastructure for cheer gyms
- Tumbling tracks and airtracking: Training equipment
- Safety crash mats: Essential for stunting and tumbling safety
- Uniforms: Competitive cheer uniforms
Local councils: Some councils have sport facilities that can host cheer training.
Community foundations: Grants for specialist equipment.
Youth cheerleading is a significant segment:
- Learn-to-cheer programmes: Recreational for younger children
- Junior competitive cheer: Age-group competitive divisions
- School cheerleading: Growing presence in school sport
- Pathway to national level: Development squads for talented youth athletes
RSTs and gaming trusts support junior cheerleading programmes given youth development and female participation.
Cheerleading has high female participation:
- Sport Australia: Women in sport participation grants
- State sport agencies: Female participation targets
- RSTs: Female sport development grants
The high female participation in cheerleading is a genuine funding strength for women-in-sport grants.
Cheerleading is growing in Australian schools:
- School sport grants: Cheerleading as a school sport activity
- P&C associations: School fundraising and grants for school cheer
- Department of Education: Some state school sport investment
Cheerleading overlaps with dance, tumbling, and gymnastics:
- Organisations running cheer programmes can access dance and performing arts funding in some contexts
- Community movement programmes for children
Strong applications demonstrate:
- Participant numbers: Cheerleaders by age group, gender, and competitive level
- Equipment needs: Mats, tumbling equipment, uniforms — justified per participant
- Junior and youth: Young participants and development pathway
- Female participation: Women and girls — a genuine programme strength
- Competition: Number and level of competitions entered
- Safety protocols: Spotting, supervision, progression-based training
- Club governance: Financial health, affiliation to Cheer Australia
- Community access: Making cheerleading accessible regardless of cost
Tahua's grants management platform helps cheer clubs manage grant applications across multiple funders, track equipment and uniform funding, and demonstrate the youth and female participation outcomes that sport agencies and gaming trusts value.