Ideas@theHouse

presented by

Her Excellency the Honourable Margaret Beazley AC KC
Governor of NSW

“The increasing importance of sport in today’s world”

Matthew Allen AM
Vice President
Australian Olympic Committee

Date: Tuesday, 1 September 2026, 6.30–8.00 pm AEST
Venue: Face-to-face (by invitation for Society members and guests) and live streaming from Government House, Sydney
Registration: Society members and guests will receive their formal invitation from Government House before the event.  You must RSVP to this invitation to confirm your place.
Registration is not required for the live stream.
Entry: No charge
Video presentation: YouTube video
All are welcome to the live stream

Summary: Sport has long been central to Australian identity, but its importance is growing as work patterns and social lifestyles evolve. With more sedentary jobs and increased screen time, participation in sport offers essential physical activity that supports cardiovascular health, strength, and overall well-being. Beyond physical benefits, sport plays a vital role in improving mental health by reducing stress and social isolation. As communities become more digitally connected yet socially fragmented, sporting environments provide meaningful opportunities for connection, teamwork, and belonging. In this changing landscape, sport is not only recreation but a crucial contributor to healthier, more balanced modern Australian lifestyles.

We are less than 6 years away from hosting Australia’s third Olympic Games. There are opportunities to change the landscape of our society through sport and provide an opportunity for the whole country to unite behind one team on our home ground.

Matt Allen has been a member of the Australian Olympic Committee Executive since 2017 and Vice President since 2021. He was involved in the bid for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games in 2021. He chairs the Australian Olympic Community Foundation, which is focused on providing scholarships to emerging indigenous sporting talent.

He was the second-longest serving President of Australian Sailing, from 2013 to 2019 and the inaugural Vice-President 2011–2013. Whilst President of Sailing, he was the architect of the ‘One Management’ Structure for the National Sport Federations; this virtual merger of the State Federations of Sailing became the blueprint for National Federations of Sport by the Federal Sports Commission. Since 2020, Matt has been a World Sailing Council member and Chair of the Oceanic and Offshore Committee, the only Australian to chair this Committee.

He is one of Australia’s most decorated offshore sailors, being a four-time overall winner, three times as skipper, of the Sydney Hobart Yacht Race and the line honours winner in 2025. He has competed in 33 Sydney Hobart Races. He is a former world champion in the 11 Metre Class, a silver medallist in the Farr 40 Class, a four-time Kings Cup Winner, and was a member of the Arbitration Tribunal for the 35th Americas Cup.

He was the Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia from 2007 to 2010.

In his past working life, he was President and CEO of UBS Japan and Regional Treasurer of UBS Asia Pacific—with UBS Japan, at the time, being the largest foreign bank in Japan. He is also a former Managing Director of the Swiss Bank Corporation.

He was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia in 2019 for his services to sailing.

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