Netball Australia and its Players Association are in urgent talks ahead of Sunday’s second Constellation Cup test against New Zealand in Tauranga.
Fox Sports can reveal that Diamond players had raised issues about access to the netball court against New Zealand in uniform with new sponsor Hancock Prospecting.
Netball Australia confirmed the new squad uniform had been delayed “pending the resolution of outstanding matters relating to the player’s interim agreement and certain sensitivities”.
Hancock Prospecting, owned by Australia’s richest woman, Gina Rinehart, was recently named by Netball Australia as the multi-million dollar sponsor of the newly minted Commonwealth Games gold medallists.
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Their logo will feature on the Diamonds’ uniforms during this month’s Constellation Cup against the Silver Ferns ahead of England’s Roses three-Test series.
However, some players are understood to have concerns about sponsorship, particularly with Indigenous player Donnell Wallam now a member of the squad.
Netball Australia said in a prepared statement: “This delay allows the players to remain focused on the Constellation Cup competition and for Netball Australia and the Australian Netball Players Association to resolve these matters in an appropriate timeframe.”
“Netball Australia is committed to continuing these conversations and working with all parties for the benefit of our sport.
“Hancock Prospecting’s partnership is one of the most significant investments in our sport, providing $15 million over four years with 100% going to players, coaches and the Diamonds High Performance Program, providing the opportunity to ‘help grow and strengthen netball. .
“Netball Australia, Hancock Prospecting and the Diamonds will continue to work together for the benefit of the whole sport.”
Fox Sports can also confirm that former Australian captain Sharni Norder addressed the playing group ahead of the Test.
Sports Environment Alliance ambassador Norder said: “This is a company that does not fit the values of Netball Australia.
“We’ve always stood for social justice, we’ve always been anti-gambling, we don’t smoke… and there were, and are, other avenues to get sponsorship.
“Lang Hancock’s past and what he said about Indigenous people is simply not appropriate for Australian sport. Netball Australia has always tried to be inclusive … now we have Donnell in the team.
“This is not a respectful way to act and even if Donnell was not in the team, we have to do better.
Diamonds eager to regain the Cup | 04:53
“I zoomed in on the players just to educate them to do well with the sport, but also to do well for yourself and honor your own values.
“I just wanted to have a conversation if this money is worth your reputation and what you stand for as a person?
“So they are making good decisions for themselves because they represent the clubs and our country, but also themselves.”
The deal was touted as helping Netball Australia’s deep financial woes after it posted losses of more than $7 million over the past two years.
At the time the deal was announced, it was said the partnership would invest directly in the Diamonds’ athletes and coaches and provide financial support for training camps and competitions.
A statement from Hancock Prospecting said: “In keeping with tradition, our new partnership with Netball Australia is athlete-focused. Assuming Netball Australia can reach an agreement with the relevant parties, the $3.5 million every year for four years can be directed to the diamond high performance program and notably includes that 100% of these funds would go to athletes and coaches’ salaries and the delivery of camps and competition costs, without that none be spent on administrative expenses.”
“Hancock Prospecting understands that this sponsorship would help Netball Australia have certainty about the Diamonds program moving forward after a period of very real financial difficulty. Hancock’s support would allow Netball Australia to retain ownership of all its commercial assets, including the Super Netball League, ensuring that revenue from growth can be invested directly into the sport of netball for future generations We note that this would not have been possible had a commercial arrangement with another entity been implemented, prior to Netball Australia choose Hancock Prospecting.
“We are aware that there have been some recent inquiries about Hancock’s relationships with traditional owners. Hancock has positive agreements with all native title holders in the areas in which we operate, providing very significant royalty payments to traditional owners in all our mining areas, exceeding $300 million in the last seven years alone We work very closely with communities to provide training, jobs, business development and recruitment opportunities, as well as heritage, health and education initiatives.
“Assuming Netball Australia can reach an agreement with the relevant parties, we look forward to working with Netball Australia and the Diamonds to support and provide more opportunities for many people, including young Indigenous people from the Pilbara, Western Australia and Australia. In any case, we wish the athletes the best of luck for their matches against New Zealand this week.”
Wallam will make his debut for the Diamonds in their upcoming three-Test series against England and it is understood that no players or the Players’ Association were consulted about the sponsorship.
For Rinehart, the sponsorship continues its association with elite sport having supported Swimming Australia for more than a decade, Rowing Australia since 2016 and this year announcing it would sponsor the Olympic team until the 2026, as well as a number of other philanthropic initiatives in the areas of health and education, including being a sponsor of NAIDOC since 2012 and the Cambodian Children’s Fund.
AUSTRALIA CONSTELLATION CUP AND ENGLAND SERIES HIGHLIGHTS: All matches will be shown live and exclusive on KAYO
New Zealand – Australia, Sunday 16 October
Australia v New Zealand, Wednesday 19 October
Australia – New Zealand, Sunday 23 October
Australia – England, Wednesday 26 October
Australia – England, Sunday 30 October
Australia – England, Thursday 3 November