New details of Gina Rinehart’s $15m sponsorship deal revealed

It was the deal that almost brought Netball Australia to its knees, now the truth behind the sponsorship has been brutally laid bare.

New details have been revealed exposing the actual extent of Gina Rinehart’s $15 million sponsorship deal with Netball Australia.

The deal with Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting was sensationally torn up after revelations that Diamonds players had concerns about wearing a team uniform that included sponsorship branding from Ms Rinehart’s company.

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Indigenous player Donnell Wallam was said to be uncomfortable wearing a uniform with the Hancock Prospecting logo, reportedly due to comments made by Ms Rinehart’s father Lang Hancock in the 1980s.

He infamously suggested in 1984 that Indigenous Australians should be sterilised to “breed themselves out” in coming years.

As the controversy grew, the mining giant pulled the plug on the deal, leaving Netball Australia in a dire financial situation.

Now after releasing its 2022 annual report, it has been revealed that Netball Australia did not receive a single dime from Hancock Prospecting.

Netball Australia announced sponsorship and broadcast income totalled $18.8 million, almost 50 per cent of all revenue, chief executive Kelly Ryan confirmed none of it came from the mining giant, according to the Herald Sun.

Wallam wasn’t comfortable with the logo. (Photo by Brendon Thorne/Getty Images for Netball Australia)

The multimillion sponsorship deal was set to run through until the end of 2025 but Rinehart’s move to tear the deal up caught Netball Australia officials completely offguard and came after players had ultimately agreed to wear the logo.

Roy Hill, a subsidiary of Hancock Prospecting, was set to become a major sponsor of Super Netball team the West Coast Fever but withdrew their support at the same time.

Despite the ugly fallout to the relationship, the company vowed to provide short term sponsorship as they sought a new partner.

“Hancock appreciates Netball Australia’s warm welcome and support, and because of this Hancock and Roy Hill have advised Netball Australia and Netball WA respectively, that it will instead provide a four-month sponsorship should they and their players wish to accept it, to continue funding the athletes and to help Netball as it arranges alternative funding and sponsorships,” the statement read.

Ryan confirmed to News Corp last week no money had been received. Hancock Prospecting stated they never withdrew the funds, Netball Australia simply never accepted.

Rinehart pulled the deal.

Just over a week after the contract was pulled, Netball Australia signed a $15m sponsorship deal with Visit Victoria.

Under the deal, which will run from 2023 to 2027, the Australian Diamonds will wear Visit Victoria branding on the uniform and players and coaches will appear in tourism campaigns to promote Victoria as a travel destination.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said he was “thrilled” to announce the deal, declaring it a major “coup” for the state.

“This is just a really fantastic day for us to be able to secure this sponsorship deal,” he said.

“Victoria is a proud sporting state, and we are delighted to announce a new partnership with Visit Victoria. The partnership will guarantee Victorians the opportunity to experience more netball across the next four and a half years,” Netball Australia CEO Kelly Ryan said.

Originally published as New details of Gina Rinehart’s $15m sponsorship deal revealed