Origin Energy chief Frank Calabria has given the Australian Diamonds his full support, saying the company won’t be walking away from their sponsorship.
His company joins major netball sponsors Suncorp, HCF, Nissan and Woolworths in backing the sport after Hancock Prospecting withdrew over the dress sponsorship saga.
Australia’s netballers backed teammate and Indigenous player Donnell Wallam after she was privately concerned about wearing the Hancock logo given founder Lang Hancock’s horrific racist comments in the past.
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It has been suggested Gina Rinehart should apologise for her father’s racist views to clean up the mess but she has refused to do so, instead pulling out of both the Diamonds sponsorship and an unrelated deal with WA netball.
While some commentators have declared the growing wave of athletes speaking up and giving their views on social issues will be a problem, none of netball’s existing sponsors have an issue with it.
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Origin, the Diamonds’ naming-rights sponsors, held a webinar about the impacts of climate change on the sports industry and the transition to net zero this week.
On it Calabria said, according to the Nine papers: “I’m actually OK with people voicing their views.
“Like anyone, athletes have an entitlement to their view, and their opinions and views actually do carry some influence. I think they need to think about the influence they carry when they express them.
“But in any gathering of people … there will always be an array of different opinions and views. My key thing in all of that is that you have an environment where people are listened to and respected, and as a result of that, they’re heard.
“It doesn’t, on the face of it, [make us] shy away from the way we think about sponsorships. What we think about is, do we actually have an alignment of values with the organisation that we are dealing with? When it comes to climate change, I think what’s important is that we come together to agree the size and scope of the challenge and actually go after it together.
“And if we do that, respectfully, and align on that, that’s really a good thing from my perspective.”
Origin has set a target of net-zero emissions by 2050 amid the ongoing climate crisis which most recently has impacted Australia via the floods across the southeast of the country.
On the same webinar Sydney CEO Tom Harley also backed athletes sharing their views.
“The authenticity of partnerships is really important,” Harley said.
“Sport’s maturing in a lot of ways. The conversation (is shifting) from just a pay cheque and the branding on the shirt. (We are) really encouraging our players to share their concerns, if they have concerns.
“As a general comment … we’re all trying our best. It’s important to be kind, when assessing how we’re all going. There’s never any sort of malicious intent (from the Swans) if we step out of line with anything. We’re starting our journey. It is important to be comfortable not knowing and leaning into discussions on matters that you need to get better at.
“With the athletes, you bring them along the journey, be open and comfortable with feedback … (while also) constantly educating our people as to what’s some of the commercial imperatives of running a sports club.”
Sydney’s partnership with Qatar Airways has been questioned given their commitment to Pride, and the Arab nation’s hardline laws against homosexuality.
