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Netball World Cup 2023: Prize Money and Salaries
The Netball World Cup is underway for 2023, with the world’s best going head-to-head in Cape Town, South Africa. However, despite the high-profile nature of the tournament, there needs to be more money on offer for competing nations as reported by Sporting News.
No Prize Money for Netball World Cup 2023
There is unlikely to be any prize money handed out at this year’s Netball World Cup. New Zealand received zero winnings after taking out the 2019 event, and that financial structure appears to have stayed the same for the current tournament.
International Netball Federation chief executive Clare Briegal told RNZ’s Morning Report 2019 that teams must pay their way to travel to the World Cup. The event itself also relies on government and sponsor support.
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Focus on Fairness and Support for Smaller Countries
“Prize money’s not something that’s even on the table at the moment for our netballers,” Briegal said. She then stated that any surplus from the World Cup is typically divided between the international body, host nations, and participating countries. “That [split of money] seems fairer to us — those smaller countries need the money, more than some of the bigger countries.”
Financial Struggles in Netball
Despite high levels of participation in several countries, netball has generally struggled with revenue and global media coverage. The average salary for a player in Super Netball — Australia’s professional netball league — is approximately AU$ 70,000 per RNZ. However, only 80 players are signed to rosters per season, with other netballers across the globe typically paid considerably less. Players are forced to balance external work with playing and training commitments, often sacrificing a career to compete in events like the World Cup.
Responding to Public Outcry: New Zealand’s Bonus Payment
After it was revealed that the 2019 World Cup winners New Zealand earned no prize money for their triumph in Liverpool, there was plenty of public scrutiny. Whilst the players never openly shared any complaints, a domestic and international fan outcry saw sponsors take notice. A group of sponsors then pooled money together to create an AU$300,000 bonus fund, which saw each member of the 12-player squad receive AU$25,000.
“Elite players continue to work relentlessly for their love of the game without expectations of high remuneration, but this is a huge step forward and we are very grateful to our partners, who we could not do this without,” Netball New Zealand chief executive Jennie Wyllie said, in response to the bonus fund.
Netball World Cup 2023: Dates and How to Watch
The 2023 edition of the Netball World Cup began on Friday, July 28, and will conclude on Sunday, August 6. Australian fans can watch every game on Fox Sports and Kayo Sports, with Kayo Freebies broadcasting every Diamonds match live and free. The semi-finals and final will also be shown on TV channel SBS Viceland and streamed via SBS On Demand. In England, the BBC will broadcast every match across TV, iPlayer, and the BBC Sport website from the second group stage on July 31.
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