Australia’s Diamonds won’t get a cent from Netball World Cup win

Australia’s Diamonds won the Netball World Cup in dominant fashion but the players won’t receive a cent for their efforts.

Australia’s Diamonds won’t receive a cent of prize money for their triumphant win at the Netball World Cup.

The Diamonds defeated England 61-45 in the final to win the World Cup in South Africa, completing their redemption tour after a heartbreaking one-goal loss to New Zealand in the 2019 final.

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It was a dominant performance in the final as Australia bounced back from a narrow loss to England earlier in the tournament to beat Jamaica in the semi-finals and get revenge on the Roses in the final.

The victory means the Diamonds’ trophy cabinet is now full after a sensational international cycle in which they won Commonwealth Games gold, reclaimed the Constellation Cup and won several Quad Series.

But as the dust settles on their World Cup win, it’s emerged Australia’s players will not receive any payment for their efforts.

News Corp’s Emma Greenwood reports prize money is still not on offer for winning the Netball World Cup, the sport’s flagship competition.

World Netball President Dame Liz Nicholl said the governing body was “rich in people resource but poor in financial resource”.

The Diamonds won’t get any prize money for their World Cup win. (Photo by RODGER BOSCH / AFP)

“To be perfectly honest I’m encouraging the netball community to celebrate the growth of women’s sport and the support that women’s sport is getting from those major governing bodies,” Nicholl said.

“I don’t see it personally as a threat, I think there’s room for those opportunities for women and girls across all of those sports.

“We are still growing as a governing body, we’re growing within nations, we’re growing in a number of nations.

“So there is no indication at this point in time that it is a threat - and I’m smiling because many of us that play netball, when we were young, we would have loved to have had a choice - and now young women and girls have got a choice.

“And I’m confident that a significant number will continue to choose netball because of our values as a sport and the culture that they will enjoy when they join at netball club.”

It’s a somewhat naive approach in a world where women’s sport is growing rapidly and the competition for athletes and eyeballs has never been fiercer.

For comparison, every Matildas player will earn at last A$135,000 in prize money for their efforts so far at the FIFA World Cup.

They’ll collect even more if they beat France in the quarterfinals and progress further in the tournament.

The fact no prize money will be awarded for the Diamonds for winning netball’s pinnacle event is a worrying sign the sport is lagging behind the times.

There are concerns netball is financially falling behind other sports. (Photo by Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images/Netball World Cup 2023)

Netball Australia is in the process of rebuilding its finances through a $15 million sponsorship deal with Visit Victoria, which stepped in when Hancock Prospecting pulled its support last year.

The Super Netball Grand Final has also been sold off for the past two seasons and that will continue next year after the South Australian government won the rights to host the 2024 season decider.

Former Australian coach Lisa Alexander said in the absence of prize money, it’s important Netball Australia capitalises on the Diamonds success on the court.

“Netball Australia has to use this win to attract those kinds of sponsors,” Alexander told News Corp.

“England and New Zealand are way ahead in this regard, the Roses will probably get something for reaching the final.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if a sponsor reads this and comes up with something. Fortuitously we have a government sponsor so whether they can stump up is a question mark.

“In 2015 the big thing was to make the most of our time in the spotlight and the players understood this. We were on the cusp of a major sponsor and victory at the World Cup was about making the most of our notoriety.

“Diamonds players through their own personal sponsorships and ambassadorial roles may receive bonuses too.”

The Diamonds will return to the court later this year for the Constellation Cup against New Zealand.

Originally published as Australia’s Diamonds won’t get a cent from Netball World Cup win