Netball legend loses it Gina Rinehart has ended the racism scandal in a $15 million sponsorship deal
An Aussie netball legend has blasted Netball Australia for botching a $15 million sponsorship from Gina Rinehart’s mining giant.
Australia’s richest woman accused Netball Australia of signaling virtue after players from the Diamonds national team questioned their offer.
The players were concerned about being associated with Ms Rinehart’s company over racist comments Lang Hancock made about Aboriginal people in 1984.
Indigenous player Donnell Wallam reportedly wanted an exemption to wear the sponsor’s logo on the team jersey, with her teammates supporting her decision.
Australian netball legend Natalie Medhurst has criticized the national setup for failing to communicate with its players about its botched $15m sponsorship deal with a mining giant.
Gina Rinehart has accused Netball Australia of signaling virtue after its players questioned their sponsorship deal over offensive comments made by their late father
Her mining company, Hancock Prospecting, issued the scathing response when it withdrew its $15 million sponsorship offer.
“Hancock and his CEO Ms. Rinehart believe it is unnecessary for sports organizations to be used as a vehicle for social or political gain,” the company said.
“There are more purposeful and genuine ways to advance social or political causes without virtuous circles or self-promotion.”
Natalie Medhurst, who has 86 caps for the Diamonds, pointed the finger firmly at Netball Australia for abandoning his stars and jeopardizing the game.
“It’s a wrecked car. After playing at the elite level for 17 years, it breaks me to see the sport like this,” Medhurst wrote for CodeSports.
“So much of this story is murky, and amidst the bombshell headlines, the heart of the issue has been lost.”
Medhurst said the future of netball in Australia was in jeopardy amid repeated financial setbacks
Medhurst said the sport is already in a precarious financial position and is not in a place where it could jeopardize its long-term future with more sponsorship scandals.
“Netball Australia and the Diamonds gaming group hasn’t always been one big happy family, but it’s always been a lot better than what we’ve seen in the last two years,” she wrote.
‘Enough is enough. Nobody wins this fight.
“Innocent bystanders including base players, volunteers and supporters are taking a hit. Even think of Netball WA and West Coast Fever being swept sideways by this runaway vehicle.
Australia cricket captain Pat Cummins has also come under scrutiny for objecting to a deal with Alinta Energy, despite previously starring in an ad for the brand, while Fremantle Dockers players demanded that their club only promotes sustainable businesses.
Medhurst called on sports federations to create a better working environment for their players and to work together on the contracts they sign.
“No coach or team (or company for that matter) could blame their players for living the values of their culture. Otherwise why bother,’ she said.
“That goes for the Australian Diamonds. On what grounds can we criticize them for living and acting the very culture that has been embraced and previously praised by the players, coaching staff and netball managers?
She lamented that the sport was already struggling with “well-documented financial problems” and said continued failures could be “catastrophic” for netball.
Medhurst called on sports federations to create a better working environment for its players and to work together on the contracts they sign
Netball Australia Players’ Association boss Kathryn Harby-Williams and former Diamonds captain has broken her silence on the matter – revealing the players were ready to carry the sponsor throughout the upcoming competition.
“It was a shock, obviously everyone is very disappointed, but I think we have to make it clear here that the position of the players has always been that they were willing to wear the logo during the Constellation Cup,” said Ms Harby-Williams in the ABC stands.
“We had reached an agreement with Netball Australia where everyone was certain that this would happen and that Donnell and the players would not have to wear the logo in the three-game series against England that is about to start.
“At no point did the players want the deal to go off the table, but we were certainly willing to compromise and agreed to it shortly after the players backed Donnell.”
Ms Harby-Williams said Wallam was never granted an exemption but instead pursued one – and that the matter could easily have been resolved internally.
Player’s Association chief Kathryn Harby-Williams revealed that Wallam would wear the shirt because the pressure of the situation “was too great to bear”.
“Donnell requested an exemption for himself and it didn’t come because there was a meeting where it was made very clear that no player would be granted an exemption,” she said
“That was a disappointing moment because at least the players thought an exemption could be granted for Donnell at that point.
“Obviously that was a disappointing moment for the players to understand that this wasn’t about to happen.
“At no point was she granted an exemption to wear the logo against England.
“And that’s what it basically came down to in the end, an Indigenous player, our first in almost 25 years, only our third in history, sought a release for just three games so she could focus on her debut and then we could go you to the table to sort it by the England series.’
The Player’s Association boss even revealed that Wallam would wear the shirt because the pressure of the situation was “too great to bear”.
“I think as a sport that should be hugely disappointing for everyone because we need to do better and be inclusive without fear of reprisals,” she added.
Netball Australia chief executive Kelly Ryan admitted she was “concerned” about the future of the sport after Ms Rinehart ripped up her $15million sponsorship offer.
“We are rightly concerned, but at the same time we have been incredibly transparent with the financial condition of our sport throughout the year,” she told Nine’s Today on Sunday.
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“We are certainly very aware of where our sport has been positioned. We’ve done a lot of work throughout the year to ensure we can properly size this ship.
“It is very disappointing to lose this funding which should really help us move faster and put us in a much stronger position.
“Even so, I’m still incredibly confident that we have the right plans in place to get the sport where it belongs.”
The $15 million deal should be a lifeline for Netball Australia, which has lost $7 million over the past two years as Super Netball costs soared.
When asked to respond to Ms Rinehart’s statement that sports teams should not be used for “virtue signals”, Ms Ryan was noncommittal.
“Obviously Mrs. Rinehart’s views are hers and we fully appreciate them,” she said.
“There’s a really important role that sports organizations, from the grassroots to the elite, play in creating a safe environment for really strong social conversations.”
Hancock Prospecting Statement
Hancock and Roy Hill do not wish to add to Netball’s disagreement issues and accordingly Hancock has informed Netball Australia that it is withdrawing from its proposed partnership with immediate effect.
Hancock and his executive chairman Ms Rinehart believe it is unnecessary for sports organizations to be used as vehicles for social or political gain.
First because sport is at its best when it is focused on good and fair competition, with dedicated athletes striving for excellence to achieve their sporting dreams and represent our country at its best.
Second, because there are more focused and authentic ways to advance social or political causes without virtue marks or self-expression. For example, Hancock’s Roy Hill Community Foundation in Western Australia meaningfully engages with local Indigenous communities to support their real needs.
Third, because there are more powerful ways to make a positive difference. For example, Hancock’s holistic support for real programs, including Hanrine Futures, that provide Indigenous students with a real path through education and employment, where they are guaranteed a job at the end of their education if they so choose.
The reality is that sponsorship is an essential part of sports organizations — from full-time professionals to young kids at the grassroots — that rely on corporations to invest the funds that enable all sports to not only survive, but thrive.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11345291/Netball-legend-loses-Gina-Rinehart-terminated-15million-sponsorship-deal-racism-scandal.html?ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490&ito=1490 Netball legend loses it Gina Rinehart has ended the racism scandal in a $15 million sponsorship deal
