Netball Australia has announced Suncorp as its principal partner for the next five years in a sponsorship deal that includes the naming rights for the new national league, which gets under way in 2017.
The news comes off the back of a record new pay deal for players, who will share a pot of $5.4m next year, making netballers the highest paid female athletes of any code in Australia.
“It is an exciting time for the sport and Suncorp’s commitment is another important milestone in the continued progression of netball as Australia’s premier women’s sport,” Netball Australia chief executive Kate Palmer said.
The new partnership will target the development of the game at grassroots level with an introductory netball program, NetSetGO, aiming to involve girls in the sport from a young age.
“One of the most pleasing aspects of this partnership is that it will see Suncorp support the journey of Australian girls from the age of five in the Suncorp NetSetGO program, all the way through to the elite National Netball League competition and our world champion Australian Diamonds,” Palmer added.
Brisbane-based Suncorp is one of Australia’s largest finance, insurance and banking corporations and takes over from ANZ, which sponsored the league’s trans-Tasman precursor until parting ways at the end of last season.
The new league is expected to begin in February next year, with three new teams in the now all-Australian competition. Games will be shown on free-to-air television after Netball Australia signed a broadcast agreement with the Nine Network and Telstra earlier this year.
