Australian Netball players are refusing to wear the Diamonds uniform that features their new major sponsor Hancock Prospecting.
The players have moved to distance themselves from the mining giant which is spearheaded by Australia’s richest woman Gina Rinehart.
The side are suffering on the court and on the brink of losing their second-straight Constellation Cup for the first time, however, those dramas have only been exacerbated by the off-court dramas.
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Hancock Prospecting agreed to a four-year $15 million sponsorship of the national team.
It’s a deal that financially helps a cash-strapped governing body that suffered losses of more than $7 million over the past two years.
However, according to Yahoo, the players are refusing to wear the uniforms that don the logo of the sponsor.
Squad member Donnell Wallam reportedly raised concerns over Hancock’s record on Indigenous matters.
The matter took a turn earlier this week when National Australia chair Marina Go stopped down from her role in the governing body effective immediately.
However, the body stressed that the move was part of a ‘planned transition’ to bring in Windy Archer.
News.com.au reports that the players nor the Player Association were consulted about the sponsorship.
It’s a claim Netball Australia refutes, however, admitted that certain aspects of the partnership with Hancock Prospecting were not divulged to the players.
Netball Australia said in a statement: “Mrs Archer also refuted claims of a lack of consultation with ANPA (Australian Netball Players Association) over the commercial partnership.
“She said that ANPA was advised in July of an impending mining partnership. Netball Australia acknowledges the identity of Hancock Prospecting was not shared due to commercial sensitivity following ANPA’s unanimous support of a private equity takeover bid for the Suncorp Super Netball competition.”
Former Diamonds captain Sharni Norder opposed the move and says she spoke to the team before the Constellation Cup series.
She said via Yahoo: “This is a company that doesn’t suit Netball Australia’s values.
“We’ve always stood up for social justice, we’ve always been anti-gambling, no smoking … and there were, and are, other avenues to source sponsorship.
“Lang Hancock’s past and what he said in regard to Indigenous people is just not suitable for Australian sport. Netball Australia has always tried to be inclusive... we now have Donnell (Wallam) in the team.
“This is not a respectful way to act and even if Donnell wasn’t in the team, we must do better."
Rinehart and Hancock also sponsor the Australian Olympic Committee, Volleyball Australia, Rowing Australia, Synchronised Swimming Australia, and Swimming Western Australia.
Topics: Australia
Jayden Collins