24 Apr 2020

Silver Ferns take pay cut

5:06 pm on 24 April 2020

The country's top netballers have taken a month long 20 percent pay cut which will be reviewed early in May.

Silver Ferns team huddle.

Silver Ferns team huddle. Photo: Photosport

The pay cut applies to the retainers for all Silver Ferns and ANZ premiership players and is backdated from 10 April and goes through to 7 May.

Netball NZ high performance manager Keir Hansen said the sport along with all other sports and businesses were "feeling the effects of Covid-19 and while this salary freeze for anyone is challenging this will go a long way in helping secure the ongoing viability of teams", he said.

Hansen said any decision about on going pay cuts would be made in consultation with the Netball Players Association.

He said the cut was "comparable" to what Netball New Zealand staff have taken.

Netball Players Association representative Steph Bond said the country's elite players were fully aware of the current landscape and had been extremely supportive of sustaining the future of the sport.

"Players understand that they play an important role in ensuring the long-term future of the sport including its financial viability.

"We remain committed to working with stakeholders to ensure our sport survives and getting back to the court when the opportunity presents itself," she said.

Hansen said Netball New Zealand was working on a number of possible competition scenarios when the all clear was given to resume and believed it would taken players four to six weeks to get back to match fitness once out of lockdown.

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