Netball NZ ready for fee increase backlash

Netball NZ boss Raelene Castle is braced for a turbulent general meeting when she announces plans to charge club players higher fees.

Castle said the Netball NZ board expected to introduce new levies for the 2011 season for all grassroots players – about $10 for seniors and $5 for juniors.

The charges were in line with, or less than, those charged in sports like rugby and football, and netball was still one of the most cost efficient sports.

"We're expecting some robust discussion about it," Castle said of her presentation in Auckland this weekend to about 250 delegates who represent the 12 netball regions and smaller centres.

Netball NZ is keen to build reserves to fund the game but Castle admitted there was concern that players might flee netball for other codes.

"Of course I'm concerned. That's one of the big talking points of the weekend," she said.

Administrators in the Wellington region canvassed by The Dominion Post this week said they were also worried about the impact of the charges, but would not say if they would fight them.

The proposed introduction of a nationwide levy next season follows hot on the heels of fee increases this winter for players in the Pulse region to bail out the cash-strapped franchise.

The Pulse region absorbs a large area of the lower North Island and top of the South Island including Gisborne, Hawke's Bay, Taranaki, Manawatu, Wellington, Wairarapa and Tasman.

Players in these areas will pay about $10 a senior and $5 a junior this winter to help pay off two outstanding Pulse loans which were guaranteed by the Western (Manawatu-Taranaki), Eastern (Gisborne-Hawke's Bay), Wellington and Tasman regions.

Netball NZ needs to recoup the loans made to the Pulse in 2008 for about $400,000 and $320,000 for last year.

Netball Taranaki has said it would continue to fight its share of the loan repayment which was estimated at $27,000. They did not even get a Pulse game because their stadiums do not meet ANZ Championship requirements.

Some satellite centres which run primary and secondary school netball in rural areas are questioning whether they will affiliate with the national body, given the escalating charges. Also on the agenda is Netball NZ's review of its regional structure. Castle said it was too soon to tell if changes were on the cards because the review had not yet been completed.

- © Fairfax NZ News