Explosive claim denied as $15m chaos grips netball

2 years ago 96

Netball Australia has denied claims Diamonds players refused to deterioration uniforms bearing the logo of sponsor Hancock Prospecting during caller matches successful New Zealand, arsenic the situation surrounding the athletics intensifies.

The crippled has been rocked by reports the players distanced themselves from the woody with the mining giant, headed up by Australia's richest woman, Gina Rinehart.

The sponsorship, worthy a reported $15 cardinal implicit 4 years, was a godsend for a athletics that is successful indebtedness to the tune of astir $7 million.

But the players judge Hancock's values don't align with those of the team.

The mining institution has said clime alteration is not a man-made phenomenon, portion Rinehart's father, Lang Hancock, said successful 1984 that indigenous Australians should beryllium sterilised to "breed themselves out."

Former Australian captain, Sharni Norder, described the fiasco arsenic "messy" and "embarrassing."

"We person an indigenous subordinate successful her precise archetypal series, Donnell Wallam, and she's openly said, which is precise pugnacious to accidental arsenic a subordinate successful a caller organisation representing Australia, that she doesn't consciousness comfy wearing Hancock Prospecting due to the fact that of what has been said successful the past," Norder told RSN Radio.

Chair Marina Go discontinue connected Monday amid the turmoil. Go volition stay connected the committee and Netball Australia claims her exit was portion of a "planned transition."

In an effort to douse the flames, Netball Australia has issued different statement, reinforcing its committedness to what it calls the "groundbreaking" sponsorship, whilst acknowledging the concerns of the players.

"Netball Australia has continually attempted to understand, enactment and enactment connected a semipermanent solution to this substance which astatine this clip remains unresolved," the connection says.

"Hancock Prospecting met with the Origin Australian Diamonds enactment radical the time aft the concerns were raised to widen its enactment and committedness to Netball Australia and to stock experiences, recognize perspectives and enactment these taste sensitivities done the partnership.

"We volition facilitate a face-to-face gathering with Hancock Prospecting and the broader playing radical successful the coming days."

New seat Wendy Archer has dismissed claims the Australian Netball Players Association (ANPA) wasn't consulted implicit the sponsorship, but did admit the ANPA was lone informed of "an impending mining partnership."

Netball Australia says the individuality of Hancock Prospecting was withheld owed to commercialized sensitivity.

Archer besides claimed the players had been "supportive" done the process and denied the squad had threatened to boycott matches successful New Zealand.

Former Diamond Bianca Chatfield told the ABC the players were blindsided by Netball Australia's decision.

"The playing radical conscionable weren't alert of it and each of a abrupt they're told that this logo goes connected their dress," she said.

"When radical excavation a small spot deeper and recognize everyone's values and what they judge successful and what they're committed to … determination conscionable needed to beryllium immoderate unfastened dialog astir what it means to everybody and [questioning] is everybody OK with that.

"I don't deliberation we're getting to the signifier wherever you request players' agreeance connected everything, but you surely request to support players successful the loop astir what's happening."

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