Income Protection for Sports Injuries: What’s Covered and What’s Not
Our Insurance Partners
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Does Income Protection Cover Sports Injuries?
Yes, in many cases, income protection insurance could provide you with cover if you’re unable to work due to an injury sustained while playing sport. However, there are a few important conditions to consider:
- Low-risk and recreational sports are usually covered automatically
- Moderate-risk sports may affect your premiums or policy terms
- High-risk or extreme sports are often excluded or require special approval
Generally, the key factor isn’t the injury itself, income protection policies will typically only pay out a benefit if you’re unable to work because of a sports injury.
How Income Protection Works for Sports Injuries
Income Protection Insurance is typically designed to replace a portion, usually up to 70%, of your income if you can’t work because of illness or an injury, including injuries which may occur while playing sport. Your monthly benefit will typically be paid out to you after the waiting period. Common waiting period options range from 14 days to two years.
Once you’ve completed the waiting period, you’ll continue to receive monthly benefit payments until the benefit period ends. Generally, you’ll have the option to choose a benefit period from two or five years, or up to a specific age (such as 65 or 70, depending on the insurer). It’s important to note that the length of the waiting period and benefit period will typically impact the cost of your cover.
Example of Income Protection for Sports Injuries
If you tear your ACL playing weekend football and work in a physically demanding job, you may be unable to perform your role for several months. After your waiting period ends, your policy could begin paying a monthly benefit to help replace your lost income.
On the other hand, if you have an office-based role and can continue working despite the injury, you may not be eligible to claim, even though you can’t return to sport.
What Types of Sports Are Covered?
Not all sports are treated the same by income protection insurers. Activities are usually grouped based on risk level, which helps determine whether your sport is automatically covered, affects your premiums, or is excluded altogether.
In general, the higher the risk of serious injury, the more likely it is to impact your cover.
Low-Risk Sports (Usually Covered)
These activities are considered low risk and are typically covered under standard income protection policies without any changes.
Examples include:
- Gym and fitness training
- Running or jogging
- Swimming
- Casual cycling
- Social or non-contact sports
If you participate occasionally or recreationally, these activities are unlikely to affect your premiums or policy terms.
Moderate-Risk Sports (May Affect Your Policy)
These sports carry a higher likelihood of injury, particularly due to contact or intensity. While they are often still covered, insurers may apply premium loadings or minor restrictions.
Examples include:
- AFL, rugby, or other contact football codes
- Soccer
- Netball
- Basketball
- Regular competitive team sports
The impact on your policy will usually depend on how often you play and whether you compete at a higher level.
High-Risk or Extreme Sports (Often Restricted)
High-risk or extreme sports are more likely to result in serious injury, which makes them more complex for insurers to cover. These activities may be:
- Excluded from your policy
- Covered with higher premiums
- Assessed individually before approval
Examples include:
- Motorsports (e.g. racing, track days)
- Skydiving or parachuting
- Rock climbing or mountaineering
- Martial arts or combat sports
- Scuba diving (especially deep or technical diving)
In some cases, cover may still be available, but only with specific conditions attached.
Why Insurers Treat Sports Differently
Insurers assess sports based on factors such as:
- The likelihood of injury
- The severity of potential injuries
- How often you participate
- Whether the activity is recreational, competitive, or professional
For example, occasional social sport is seen as relatively low risk, while frequent participation in high-impact or extreme activities significantly increases the chance of a claim.
Will You Pay More for Sports Cover?
If the sport you play increases your risk of injury, your insurer may apply a premium loading or adjust your cover to reflect that risk. Not everyone will pay more, but the more frequently you participate in higher-risk or contact sports, the more likely it is to impact your premiums.
What affects the cost of cover?
Insurers typically look at a combination of factors, including:
- The type of sport you play (low-risk vs contact or extreme)
- How often you participate (occasional vs regular training or competition)
- Whether you play socially or competitively
- Your injury history, particularly past sports-related injuries
- The level of intensity (e.g. casual games vs organised leagues)
How insurers assess risk
Insurers don’t just look at the sport itself, they assess your overall risk profile. For example, playing touch football once a month is very different to training and competing in rugby every week.
The higher the likelihood of injury, the more likely it is that:
- Your premiums increase
- Certain activities are excluded
- Additional terms are added to your policy
Do You Need to Tell Your Insurer About Sports?
Yes, when applying for income protection insurance in Australia, you have a legal duty to disclose all relevant information to the insurer. Your insurer needs a clear understanding of your lifestyle, including any sports or physical activities you regularly take part in, so they can accurately assess your level of risk.
This means being upfront about the type of sport you play, how often you participate, and whether it’s social, competitive, or professional. Even activities that seem occasional or low-risk should be mentioned, as insurers take frequency and intensity into account when determining your cover.
If you don’t disclose this information, it can create serious issues at claim time. Your policy is based on the details you provide during the application, so if an injury occurs while doing something your insurer wasn’t aware of, your claim could be denied or your policy could be cancelled altogether.
Being honest from the start ensures your cover reflects your actual lifestyle. While it may result in adjusted premiums or specific conditions, it helps avoid disputes later and gives you greater confidence that your policy will respond when you need it.
Pre-existing conditions, including prior sports injuries, may be excluded from your policy. It is important to disclose any previous injuries or medical conditions when applying, so your insurer can confirm the terms on which cover can be offered.
What Happens If You Get Injured Playing Sport?
If you’re injured during sport, the claims process typically looks like this:
- You suffer an injury: This could happen during training, a game, or even recreational activity. The key is that the injury needs to be significant enough to impact your ability to work.
- A medical professional assesses your condition: You’ll need medical evidence confirming your injury, its severity, and how it affects your capacity to perform your job duties.
- You stop working (or reduce your hours): To be eligible, the injury must prevent you from working in your usual role. This is assessed against your policy’s definition of disability.
- You serve your waiting period: Your policy won’t pay benefits immediately. You’ll need to wait for your chosen waiting period before payments can begin. Waiting periods can range from 14 days to two years.
- You submit a claim with supporting evidence: This usually includes medical reports, income details, and information about your occupation. Your insurer will assess whether your claim meets the policy terms.
- Your claim is assessed and payments begin (if approved): If your claim is successful, you’ll start receiving monthly payments to replace a portion of your income.
Take note: Eligibility is assessed against your policy’s disability definition, which may be based on your own occupation or a broader ‘suitable work’ definition. The definition that applies can affect how long you receive benefits. Most policies issued after October 2021 use a suitable work definition after the first 24 months on claim. However, it’s generally a good idea to refer to your Product Disclosure Statement to see which definition applies to your circumstances.
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
Does income protection cover gym injuries?
Yes, most income protection policies will cover injuries that occur at the gym, as these activities are generally considered low risk. As long as your injury is medically verified and prevents you from working, you may be eligible to claim. For example, if you suffer a serious back injury while lifting weights and can’t perform your job, your policy may provide a monthly benefit after the waiting period.Can I get income protection if I play rugby or AFL?
Yes, you can usually still get income protection if you play contact sports like rugby or AFL, but it may affect your policy. Insurers may apply higher premiums, place exclusions on certain activities, or assess your application more closely depending on how often and at what level you play. Social or occasional participation is generally easier to cover than regular competitive play.What if I play multiple sports?
If you play more than one sport, you’ll need to disclose all of them when applying for cover. Insurers will assess your overall risk based on the combination of activities, as well as how frequently you participate in each. Playing multiple low-risk sports may have little impact, but combining several higher-risk or contact sports could affect your premiums or policy terms.Will my premiums increase if I play sport?
Not always, but they can. If your sport is considered higher risk or you participate frequently, your insurer may apply a premium loading to reflect the increased likelihood of injury. On the other hand, if you only take part in low-risk or occasional recreational activities, your premiums may remain unchanged.Can I claim if I’m injured outside of work?
Yes, income protection insurance generally covers injuries regardless of where they occur, including during sport or recreational activities. The key requirement is that the injury prevents you from working. If you’re unable to perform your job due to the injury, you may be eligible to claim, even if the incident didn’t happen at work.
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Hi, I do downhill mountain biking. Is there any way I can get income protection?
I’m in Australia? I’m a jockey, am I able to be covered ?
Hi Skye.
Whether you’ll be eligible for cover depends on a few more variables than just being a jockey, for example, the company you apply with, the type and amount of cover you want, your age and health. Kindly compare quotes when completing the quote form above. Once you’ve selected your choice of policy and apply, a specialist will contact you to assist you in your unique requirements.
Is martial arts covered under extreme sports in regard to income protection? More specifically muay thai..
Hi Mike
With these types of sporting activities it will often depend if you are competing in the sport or is it just recreational? They will also need to know how often you are participating in the activity?
If you could provide this information along with current occupation and contact details then I will be able to ask the team to complete a no obligation pre-assessment for you.