Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.
We've all heard that phrase before, and may even have used it in the schoolyard, at the playground, or in the classroom.
It is a rebuttal children often recite when dealing with bullies, but we wouldn't expect this to be an effective taunt among adults. Or is it?
In the world of professional and competitive sport, words seem to be used effectively to injure or distract opponents, and when everyone is trying to find an edge, words can be used to gain a competitive advantage in the heat of the moment.
The Australian team used this tactic effectively when sledging the Black Caps in the Cricket World Cup final, and even more words were created and shared about sledging on talkback radio, in Twitter conversations and in print.
Sledging and slurs know no boundaries. Slurs, by their very nature, are disparaging remarks made by one person towards another.
The ''slurrer'' will leave no stone unturned to try to find out what pushes the buttons of the opponent. Mothers, sexuality, race, gender, religion, hair colour, nationality, looks, children, wives - nothing is sacrosanct.
The Out on the Fields study conducted on homophobia in sport that Labour MP Louisa Wall referred to recently suggests New Zealand's sporting culture is not that safe a place for gay and lesbian youth and athletes.
Wall is asking administrators of New Zealand sport to follow Australia's lead and sign an agreement committing to ensuring a welcoming and safe environment for players, coaches and fans regardless of sexual identity and to ending homophobia in sport.
Jacques Potgieter, from the Waratahs, was probably one of the first to feel the consequences of this agreement when fined $20,000 for using a homophobic slur during a game against the Brumbies.
Will the same occur here in New Zealand? Are those who are calling for sanctions against racial and homophobic slurs being overly sensitive? Should we all just accept that slurs and sledging are a part of modern sport tactics?
Personally, I think slurs are childish. We need to denormalise this practice, and challenge our athletes and sports teams to be more creative in how they gain an edge over their opposition.
Train harder and smarter, be more tactical, have a greater range of skills in your toolbox.
Degrading someone by calling them ''homosexual'' or ''a girl'' or ''black'', for that matter, and the many variations of these terms is just unoriginal.
If these terms are seen as harmless, normal and a bit of fun because they are part of our everyday vocabulary, that is also a sad indication of where we are at as a nation.
Words may not break the bones or feelings of the person hearing these slurs, but they do create an atmosphere and culture around a sport, or a team that is not inclusive of diversity.
We live in a diverse world now so let's diversify the language we use and do what New Zealanders do best, and let our actions speak louder than our words.
