Netball: Sponsorship spat being sorted

Sue Clarke.
Sue Clarke.
Netball South chief executive Sue Clarke is confident the Steel will play in Dunedin next year despite a sponsorship conflict threatening to prevent the fixtures from going ahead.

The Steel is scheduled to play the Fever (March 22) and the Tactix (May 25) at Dunedin's Edgar Centre.

The centre's main arena has had a name change, with Mediaworks' More FM signing a five-year naming-rights agreement earlier this year.

The Steel is sponsored by rival media company The Radio Network. The issue of conflicting sponsors is not new to sport but some of the large More FM signage at the venue is creating problems.

''Our contracts require clean stadia and that is what the Edgar Centre has to provide us when we have got a game there,'' Clarke said.

''We are currently in discussions around how we manage that signage.

''We have our own family of sponsors ... and everyone has separate contracts about what you offer and provide for them.

''It has to be resolved, so we will just keep quietly working away to find a solution for everyone.

''Ideally, we would have the games in Dunedin but if the conflict isn't resolved we won't be having them in Dunedin. But our desire is to have them in Dunedin.

''It will all work out. We just have to work with the Edgar Centre and ensure that we fulfil our requirements as they fulfil theirs. Where that middle ground is, we are not quite sure yet.''

Edgar Centre manager Blair Crawford shares Clarke's confidence in a happy resolution.

''We are working with Mediaworks, who are very helpful in terms of us meeting any criteria for the Steel, so it won't be an issue,'' he said.

Crawford was under the initial impression the More FM signage would not cause any problems.

It was not until further communication with Netball New Zealand he was advised the signage could not be in television shots and would have to be removed or covered on game day.

''The name of the arena is the More FM Arena, and that stays. But basically the banner [above the scoreboard] with the breakfast hosts on it will move on game day.''

He said some of the More FM logos would also have to be repositioned.

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