The Diamonds took a stand to support a teammate. Now Gina Rinehart has ripped up their $15m sponsorship.

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There's one news story that is dominating Australian media. And it has everything to do with the Australian Diamonds netball team and a certain polarising figure - Gina Rinehart.

This week, reports came out that the Diamond players were uncomfortable wearing a uniform with the Hancock Prospecting logo on it. For context, Hancock Prospecting is owned by Gina Rinehart, the Australian mining magnate and heiress, who leads the Australian-owned mining and agricultural business.

Originally, it was suggested the discomfort the players had with associating with the Hancock Prospecting logo was down to environmental reasons - considering the pivotal role mining companies play in contributing to global warming. 

In late September, the $15 million sponsorship deal was announced, on the back of Netball Australia reportedly struggling financially, with their debt in the millions. 

At the time of the announcement, former Diamonds' captain Sharni Norder shared her concerns about the new sponsorship deal via Twitter.

As a proud @SEA_theChange ambassador, it's unacceptable to put our brand alongside an open climate denier. We have put too much into our sport to give social license to a company who's profit at all cost attitude puts our future in danger. Be better https://t.co/3K6L7UDlhn

— Sharni Norder (@SharniNorder) September 29, 2022

"As a proud Sports Environment Alliance ambassador, it's unacceptable to put our brand alongside an open climate denier," she tweeted. "We have put too much into our sport to give social license to a company whose profit-at-all-cost attitude puts our future in danger. Be better."

Although this is a very relevant issue, this isn't the one that led to the Diamond players taking a stand. It came down to another just as important and pressing cause. 

It came to a head recently when the team's only Indigenous player, Donnell Wallam, was said to be uncomfortable wearing a uniform with the Hancock Prospecting logo, because of comments made by Rinehart's father Lang Hancock in the 1980s.

The late mining magnate infamously suggested that Indigenous Australians should be sterilised to solve "the problem".

"Those that have been assimilated into, you know, earning good living or earning wages amongst the civilised areas, those that have been accepted into society and they have accepted society and can handle society, I'd leave them well alone," he told a news broadcast.

"The ones that are no good to themselves and can't accept things, the half-castes - and this is where most of the trouble comes - I would dope the water up so that they were sterile and would breed themselves out in future and that would solve the problem."

He also suggested that Aboriginal land rights "shouldn't exist".

Watch Tony Armstrong speak on racism in Australia. Story continues below.

The repugnant comments were controversial even for that time, and over the years those comments have been further condemned. Hancock died in 1992 aged 82.

Although the quotes are directly from Hancock himself and not Rinehart, there have been calls for Rinehart to distance herself and her company from the comments made. 

ABC News said Hancock Prospecting was invited by Netball Australia to make a statement distancing the current company from the historical words of its founder, Lang Hancock.

In a statement, Diamonds' players said the reports of a protest on the part of the players on environmental grounds and a split within the playing group are incorrect.

"The singular issue of concern to the players was one of support for our only Indigenous team member. We are fully committed to the Diamonds' Sister in Arms legacy and the values this represents, alongside Australian Netball's Declaration of Commitment."

The Declaration of Commitment was established in September 2020. Various past Indigenous players shared their stories of mistreatment, leading Netball Australia to form a First Nations Advisory Committee and establish the document which all state bodies and member organisations signed. Its aim is to support Indigenous players, provide greater opportunities and stand with First Nations communities. 

Netball Australia has since been criticised for a lack of consultation with players about the deal with Hancock and there is frustration that Donnell Wallam has been unfairly burdened by the situation.

For context, Wallam is a very talented netball player and a proud Noongar woman.

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Wallam is the third First Nations woman to represent Australia in the Diamonds squad and is in line to make her Diamonds debut in the upcoming series against England.

"It means a lot because being a First Nations athlete… there's not much representation in netball. So being able to play netball at the highest level in Australia is just huge for the next generation," she said recently. "I'm really proud that I can be that role model for other Indigenous athletes."

Coming to a head on Saturday, Rinehart's Hancock Prospecting ripped up its $15 million sponsorship deal with Netball Australia. They then issued a statement, suggesting the sports team was "virtue signalling".

The mining giant announced it had decided to "regrettably withdraw" its proposed partnerships with Netball Australia and Netball WA. It is important to note that Rinehart has in the past done a lot of charitable work for Indigenous causes.

In the wake of the news, it's uncertain how much of a drastic financial impact the cut-up sponsorship deal will have on Netball Australia.

But the players are doing what they do best - playing some incredible netball.

Diamonds coach Stacey Marinkovich said this week her team is focused on blocking out the "outside noise" and "toxic" commentary on social media.

"Nobody can estimate or understand the connection that is within our high-performance group. We are very proud to represent Netball Australia. We are very proud to be in the uniform. And we're very good at having collaborative conversations to shape the direction we want to continue to take the sport and how we play the game," she said.

"As a playing group, as a Diamonds collective with our support staff, we've been really strong together inside. We'll continue to do that and get to a resolution. Hopefully, that will be really soon."

Reflecting on the courage of the players, former Australian Diamond Amy Steel said to ABC News that she was proud of their efforts.

"One of the golden rules is never say anything that could negatively reflect you and your sponsors, and your relationship with your sponsor. It takes a lot of courage as an athlete to stand against everything that you've been trained and say: 'Actually, I'm going to stand up on this issue and make my voice known'."

To support the Aussie Diamonds, you can follow them on Instagram, and can cheer them on for Sunday night's game. You can watch the final game of the Constellation Cup via Kayo Freebies and Foxtel.

Feature Image: AAP.

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