Netball Australia receive good news from major sponsor Origin Energy

Gina Rinehart may have pulled her sponsorship of the national netball team, but the sport’s major sponsor is sticking by the Diamonds.

Netball Australia’s cash-strapped leaders have received some welcome relief after the week from hell with its major gas and electricity sponsor and naming rights partner of the Diamonds standing firmly with the sport.

Netball Australia’s bottom line copped a battering this week when Gina Rinehart’s company Hancock Prospecting pulled their $15 million funding of the country’s most popular female participation sport, prompting fears of a financial crisis after reports other sponsors could also soon pull the plug.

Rinehart’s shock decision came after the national team decided to wear old uniforms that didn’t feature her mining company’s logo, in an act of solidarity with their Indigenous teammate Donnell Wallam who’d raised concerns about racist comments made by Rinehart’s father and company founder Lang Hancock decades ago.

Netball has received support from their major sponsor despite Gina Rinehart (L) withdrawing her money.

While the Diamonds’ players have received some support for their stance, they have also been heavily criticised for mixing politics with sport, prompting concerns other sponsors could walk away from netball and other codes.

But Origin Energy – naming partner sponsor of the Diamonds national team – said it was sticking with the sport despite the furore.

Speaking on a teleconference panel on Tuesday, Origin Energy chief executive Frank Calabria told News Corp his company had no intention of leaving the sport.

“Just to be very clear, we will continue to support the national team, we’ll do that and also through to the grassroots level,” Calabria said.

Origin Energy boss Frank Calabria. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

“We‘re very pleased with our relationship with Netball Australia.”

Mr Calabria would not comment on Rinehart’s decision to cut ties with netball, but said he did support the principle of athletes speaking out on social issues they strongly believed in but with a caveat – that athletes also understood what they were talking about because of the high value their opinions carry.

“I‘m okay with people voicing their views,” he said.

“Like anyone, athletes have an entitlement to their view and their opinions and views actually do carry some influence, so I think they need to think about the influence they carry when they express them.

“Athletes having views themselves, I welcome it as long as people are listened to and respected.

“We will not focus on sponsorships and partnerships that are focused on the logo on the shirt.

“It will be about those things, but really it will be more importantly about the alignment of values of the organisation and so that‘s how we think about it as we go forward.”