Elite netball in Australia is once again on the brink of collapse after mining magnate Gina Rinehart announced she was pulling her proposed $15 million sponsorship of the organisation and its elite squad, the Diamonds.
In a statement released early on Saturday afternoon, the company took a swipe at Netball Australia, saying it didn’t want to add to their “disunity problems”, and announced they would withdraw the proposal “effective immediately”.
They will, however, still offer a four-month sponsorship while the organisation finds a replacement.
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“Hancock and Roy Hill do not wish to add to Netball’s disunity problems, and accordingly Hancock has advised Netball Australia (the governing body of netball in Australia) that it has withdrawn from its proposed partnership effective immediately,” the statement read.
Further down the statement, the company also took a swipe at environmentalists it claims “neglect” the truth.
“Mining is critical to securing the minerals essential for everyday life,” it read.
“An often conveniently neglected truth when activists talk emotively about mining is that most, if not all, of the primary products required for the equipment, production, distribution and delivery of renewable energy depend on resources that need to be mined.”
Netball Australia chair Wendy Archer said the decision was a disappointing outcome for the sport.
“This has been a challenging period for all involved and while every effort has been made from all parties to resolve the issues surrounding the sensitivities of the partnership, unfortunately we have not been able to achieve a mutually satisfactory outcome,” she said.
Archer said the organisation would “reassess its funding options” before making a decision on the four-month sponsorship offer.
In a separate statement released at the same time, Hancock took a broader swipe at sports stars speaking up about their own concerns regarding sustainability of sponsors.
“It is unnecessary for sports organisations to be used as the vehicle for social or political causes,” the other statement read.
“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 to represent our country at their very best.
“There are more targeted and genuine ways to progress social or political causes without virtue signaling or for self-publicity.”
In a team meeting earlier this month, Indigenous shooter Donnell Wallam – who is set to make her Diamonds debut against England at the end of the month – spoke about her desire to not wear the Hancock logo, given its founder Lang Hancock’s – Rinehart’s father – 1984 proposal that some Indigenous people be sterilised to “breed themselves out”.
Her teammates reportedly stood with her, declaring they would not let her look any different from them on her debut in the green and gold dress.
The Diamonds have played by the motto ‘sisters in arms’ for the past decade.
The Diamonds have not worn the Hancock logo during the ongoing Constellation Cup against New Zealand.
In the statement, Hancock said it “would only ever want athletes to wear the Hancock logo if the athletes were proud to do so”, but then denied reports the players had refused to wear the logo.
Cricket Australia this week announced it would end its partnership with Alinta Energy at the end of the contract period next June, amid claims chief executive Nick Hockley had been pressured to do so by skipper Pat Cummins.
In their own statement, Cricket Australia denied those claims.
In a media conference on Tuesday morning announcing his appointment as Australia’s new one-day international captain, Cummins backed down from those comments suggesting the story was “a stretch”.
Hancock continues to sponsor the Australian swim team and Rowing Australia.
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