New Zealand’s top netballers have agreed to a salary freeze to help lift the financial pressure.
Netball New Zealand, the six ANZ Premiership teams and the New Zealand Netball Players Association have agreed to a range of salary freezes and conditions which apply to Silver Fern squad members and ANZ Premiership players.
Under the changes, 20% of ANZ Premiership and Silver Ferns retainers will be frozen until May 7 to ease the pressure on organisations during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Agreement was reached in principle on April 10.
Netball New Zealand high performance manager Keir Hansen said players had been hugely supportive of their teams and organisations in the midst of an extremely tough financial situation.
"Netball, along with all other sports and businesses, are feeling the effects of Covid-19 and, while this salary freeze for anyone is challenging, this will go a long way in helping secure the ongoing viability of teams," Hansen said.
Players’ association representative Steph Bond said elite players were fully aware of the current landscape and had been extremely supportive of sustaining the future of the sport.
"Players understand that they play an important role in ensuring the long-term future of the sport including its financial viability."
Southern Steel co-captain Gina Crampton said she felt fortunate that she was still receiving 80% of her income.
"The 20% we are not getting at the moment is being frozen for if we get back up and running later in the year," she said.
"We’re pretty lucky, to be honest. Eighty percent is definitely not too bad and we are all very thankful that we have been paid at this time."
New Zealand’s Covid-19 Alert Level 4 will drop to Level 3 on Monday night and there is the potential it will fall to Alert Level 2 on May 11.
At that point netball’s return will look a lot closer.
"I think everyone is looking forward to [its return]. And even more so it is going to be great to reconnect with the team.
"That is something we’ve all been missing, I think."
