In fact, more and more athletes past and present of various backgrounds, and even sporting organisations, have been outspoken about the issue of holding Australia Day on January 26 - which marks the beginning of colonisation by the British, and for Indigenous Australians, the start of hundreds of years of violence and oppression.

Australian cricket captain Pat Cummins and former skipper Steve Smith spoke passionately ahead of their Test series against the West Indies, calling for the date to be changed from January 26.

"Australia Day is meant to be a celebration of everything Australian and our history. I think we can choose a better date," Cummins said.

Cricket Australia came under fire for not using "Australia Day" in any marketing push for the Gabba Test series, but Tennis Australia took a similar approach at the Australian Open.

On Friday, more sports added their voices, with various posts to social media recognising the differing sentiments around January 26, and many did not use the term "Australia Day" at all.

The NRL posted to social media site Twitter with a statement acknowledging Indigenous people, which was re-shared by the Kangaroos and Jillaroos accounts.

"The NRL acknowledges that today represents a painful and sorrowful day for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples," the statement read.

"Today, we pay tribute to the resilience and the enormous contribution our Aboriginal and Torres Strait brothers and sisters make to our nation and the greatest game for all."

Former Raider Jack Wighton's new club, South Sydney Rabbitohs, shared a similar message to their social media accounts.

"The Rabbitohs join in acknowledging the many and varied cultures that make up our modern Australian nation," the post read.

"At the same time, we pay special tribute to our Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander brothers and sisters and honour them as custodians of the oldest living culture on the planet.

"Always was, always will be, Aboriginal land."

With many AFL clubs supporting the "yes" vote in the Voice referendum last year, a majority were also vocal in expressing their support for Indigenous people and acknowledging the differing views on what the date represents.

Some clubs went a step further, with Port Adelaide Power, Western Bulldogs and North Melbourne Kangaroos supporting changing the date of Australia Day, while others like Carlton and Geelong encouraged reflection and "respectful discussion".

The AFL Players' Association urged for "a date where all people can celebrate" to be found.

A joint statement from the Kookaburras and Hockeyroos supported by Hockey Australia was shared online that similarly called for a date change.

"We are all proud to be Australians, however we do not see January 26 as a day of celebration," the statement read.

"Today, the current Hockeyroo and Kookaburra athletes support our sisters Mariah Williams, a proud Wiradjuri woman, and Brooke Peris, a proud Yawuru woman, and stand in solidarity with all First Nations people.

"Be mindful and have empathy. We can celebrate what it means to be Australian on another day."

Meanwhile, Football Australia recognised that Australia Day has "different meanings to our diverse nation" and encouraged people to respect and celebrate all cultures.

The Canberra Raiders and other major ACT sport clubs had not yet posted any content relating to Australia Day to social media.