Diamond captain Liz Watson hopes Netball Australia’s Hancock deal will be settled soon
Diamond captain Liz Watson said Gina Reinhart’s issues with Netball Australia (NA)’s sponsorship deal with Hancock Prospecting were quickly resolved and the team will wear company logos on play kits I hope to
Key Point:
- Netball Australia has been criticized for being linked to Hancock due to the mining giant’s track record on indigenous and environmental issues.
- Despite criticism, Netball Australia has reaffirmed Gina Rinehart’s commitment to the company.
- Diamond captain Liz Watson said she expects the team to wear Hancock dresses “soon.”
Concerns have been raised by some of the Australian national team setting up a nearly $15 million partnership between NA and Hancock On the mining giant’s spotty record on indigenous peoples and environmental issues.
It led to reports that the Diamonds had boycotted Hancock wearing embellished dresses in the Constellation Cup series against New Zealand. Criticism of lack of transparency and communication from NA to playgroups.
NA said there would be no boycott of play kits because it determined that “wearing the dress at this time is not in the best interest of the player, the sport, or Hancock Prospecting,” doubling down on the partnership and Hancock said he worked to “recognize and recognize susceptibility” within the performing group.
“This is a strong partnership for the sport that underpins Diamond’s high performance programme, with 100% of these funds going towards athlete and coach salaries, camp delivery and competition costs, giving Australian Diamond a significant legacy. in sports,” NA said in a statement.
Diamond captain Liz Watson backed the partnership when asked about it on ABC News Breakfast Tuesday morning.
“We are great supporters of Hancock, and we want to do well with them on this partnership…and I’m sure it will work out really quickly,” she said.
“The girls know that this is a really big investment in our sport and they appreciate it because it does great things for our high performance program.
“It’s just a matter of working on these things and making sure everyone is very comfortable, whether they’re at Diamond or not.
“And we know this will be resolved, and hopefully we can get out there in that dress.
At a subsequent press conference, Watson said the group understands there are “cultural sensitivities” surrounding the signing of Indigenous player Donnell Wallum.
In 1984, Lang Hancock, founder of Hancock Prospecting and Reinhart’s father, proposed a plan to exterminate the pesky Indigenous people.
“People who are assimilated into society, living well and earning wages in a civilized area, people who are accepted by society, who can accept society, who can handle society, I can leave them alone. I guess,” said Hancock.
“People who aren’t good to themselves and can’t accept things, the half-caste – and this is where most of the problems occur – I dope the water so that they become sterile and reproduce in the future. And that will solve the problem.”
Rinehart never distanced himself from these comments.
“[Wallam] Being part of this program, she knows where we stand,” Watson told reporters.
“We clearly support Donnell with everything that’s going on, and I’m confident we can get a solution to all of this.”
Hancock Prospecting gave a presentation to the players this morning.
The Diamonds are currently beating New Zealand 2-0 in the four-game Constellation Cup Series. Wednesday and Sunday’s tests could see Australia square the series and regain the trophy on scoring percentage.
The Commonwealth Games champions will then go head-to-head in a three-match series against England, with tests in Newcastle on 26 October, Sydney on 30 October and Brisbane on 3 November.
Wallum won’t face the Silver Ferns, but the 28-year-old could be selected to make her debut in the series against England, becoming just the third Indigenous to represent the Diamond in its 95-year history. will be a player of
“[Wallam] apparently a new group [we support] I want her to come here and just be herself and feel comfortable and strong,” Watson said.
Despite being in danger of losing the Constellation Cup for the second year in a row, Watson said he doesn’t think the confusion over sponsorship is distracting his team on the court.
“We didn’t perform the way we wanted. New Zealand performed very well,” she said.
“We improved on Game 1 from Game 2… so it’s up to us how we perform, it has nothing to do with outside noise.”
Meanwhile, West Coast Fever, who signed Hancock Prospecting’s Roy Hill to a multi-million dollar deal in September, have criticized the turmoil over their sponsorship of Netball Australia.
“The current situation between Netball Australia and Hancock Prospecting is concerning and disappointing,” the Fever statement read.
“The partnership between West Coast Fever and Roy Hill is integral to the club’s success on and off the court.
“Roy Hill Executive Chairman Gina Reinhart is a huge advocate for the Australian community and has a particular interest in supporting women’s sport.”
Diamond captain Liz Watson hopes Netball Australia’s Hancock deal will be settled soon
Source link Diamond captain Liz Watson hopes Netball Australia’s Hancock deal will be settled soon
