Ferns to get $25,000 bonus payment for winning World Cup
Silver Ferns sponsors have ensured the world champions receive a bonus payment for winning the 2019 Netball World Cup.
Sky, ANZ, MYOB and Puma have all contributed to a payment that will see the players receive a bonus of $25,000 each.
The payout comes after it was revealed shortly after the Ferns lifted the World Cup trophy in Liverpool on Monday that they would not get any prize money from event organisers.
It was a stark contrast to the $3 million the Black Caps earned for finishing runners-up in the Cricket World Cup just a week before.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was among those who called on sponsors to consider a payout for the Ferns considering the invaluable exposure major sponsors received from the national side’s efforts.
“I wouldn’t want to call [the sponsors] out but ultimately they’re the ones that derive benefit from us being the best on the world stage,” Ardern told the The AM Show. “I think it should really just be a question for us, ‘Does that feel fair’? Because it does tend to, of course, be those sports like netball where you don’t see that same attraction of sponsorship.
“You couldn’t have watched that game and say that those players weren’t deserving of recognition . . . Go on, why not [give them a bonus]?”
Netball NZ CEO Jennie Wyllie said it was a great feeling to be able to reward players for their extraordinary efforts in lifting the trophy for the first time in 16 years.
“We are so thankful to our wonderful partners for both their ongoing support of the Silver Ferns and the sport, and coming together to provide this financial boost in recognition of our world champions,” Wyllie said.
“Netball New Zealand works tirelessly to increase the financial resourcing of the game and our players which is not an easy task.
“Elite players continue to work relentlessly for their love of the game
without expectations of high remuneration, but this is a huge step forward and we are grateful to our partners, who we could not do this without.”
The lack of prize money given to the world champs has sparked a conversation about netball funding and investment in women’s sport.
International Netball Federation chief executive Clare Briegal told RNZ’s Morning Report that netball is still at the early stages of commercial development, and prize money was not even considered.
“Prize money’s not something that’s even on the table for our netballers.”
Briegal added more exposure is needed for netball to grow, as well as develop commercially.
“Without that exposure, the sponsors aren’t so readily there . . . there was growing money coming into the sport, but it is so little.”
The subject of pay has also come up during the aftermath of the Ferns’ triumph in Liverpool.
Top Silver Ferns players earn about $130,000, about a tenth of what All Blacks captain Kieran Read earns. New Zealand Rugby also receives about 10 times more from sponsors than Netball New Zealand.
Wyllie told RNZ the governing body would like to pay the Silver Ferns more but it needs to be weighed up against growing the sport at grassroots level.
“There needs to be recognition for the value of women’s sport, and also at an international level our governing body needs to work hard to maximise the benefit [to] the 20 million women and girls who play netball.”
I wouldn’t want to call [the sponsors] out but ultimately they’re the ones that derive benefit from us being the best on the world stage. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern