Can anyone explain to me what the hell is going on at Netball New Zealand? This makes absolutely no sense at all. Does it make any sense to anyone?

Netball New Zealand didn't even let two full days pass for its players to bask in the glory of reaching number one in the world and beating Australia in the Constellation Cup before ripping the rug right out from underneath them and cancelling the Mowbray deal.

There will be no Mowbray-funded league next year. Netball New Zealand has said no thank you to the enormous amount of money the Mowbrays were prepared to invest in saving netball's domestic competition.

And they apparently didn't even have the courtesy to call Anna Mowbray and Ali Williams. At least according to the couple, they simply sent an email late at night.

The couple say they are blindsided and devastated.

What's worse is that Netball New Zealand is not publicly giving us a reason for a decision that will confound many of us.

To be fair, there may be confidentiality agreements preventing them from explaining why, and I think that is almost certainly the case. But try getting that past the players. Try telling all those women why they won't be earning any money next year when there was money on the table from the Mowbrays.

"Sorry, we can't tell you why."

Let me remind you why netball needed to take this deal.

No broadcaster in New Zealand wanted to broadcast the netball competition this year unless Netball New Zealand effectively paid for it to be on television. Netball New Zealand did that and, in the process, lost $3.7 million in a single season just trying to keep the game going.

When Netball New Zealand agreed to work with the Mowbrays eight weeks ago, I said on air that it was the right thing to do. I sincerely hoped it would work because, frankly, things couldn't get much worse.

Well, yes they could.

Here we are and things have got a whole lot worse. Netball New Zealand has now said no to the private investment that was trying to save the game domestically.

LISTEN ABOVE

Can anyone explain to me what the hell is going on at Netball New Zealand? This makes absolutely no sense at all. Does it make any sense to anyone?
Netball New Zealand didn't even let two full days pass for its players to bask in the glory of reaching number one in the world and beating Australia in the Constellation Cup before ripping the rug right out from underneath them and cancelling the Mowbray deal.
There will be no Mowbray-funded league next year. Netball New Zealand has said no thank you to the enormous amount of money the Mowbrays were prepared to invest in saving netball's domestic competition.
And they apparently didn't even have the courtesy to call Anna Mowbray and Ali Williams. At least according to the couple, they simply sent an email late at night.
The couple say they are blindsided and devastated.
What's worse is that Netball New Zealand is not publicly giving us a reason for a decision that will confound many of us.
To be fair, there may be confidentiality agreements preventing them from explaining why, and I think that is almost certainly the case. But try getting that past the players. Try telling all those women why they won't be earning any money next year when there was money on the table from the Mowbrays.
"Sorry, we can't tell you why."
Let me remind you why netball needed to take this deal.
No broadcaster in New Zealand wanted to broadcast the netball competition this year unless Netball New Zealand effectively paid for it to be on television. Netball New Zealand did that and, in the process, lost $3.7 million in a single season just trying to keep the game going.
When Netball New Zealand agreed to work with the Mowbrays eight weeks ago, I said on air that it was the right thing to do. I sincerely hoped it would work because, frankly, things couldn't get much worse.
Well, yes they could.
Here we are and things have got a whole lot worse. Netball New Zealand has now said no to the private investment that was trying to save the game domestically.
LISTEN ABOVE

With a straight down the middle approach, Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive on Newstalk ZB delivers the very latest news and views to New Zealanders as they wrap up their day.

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Perspective with Heather du Plessis-Allan: What is going on at Netball New Zealand?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/c663ac81-2503-459c-b9a7-b4f300664fc5/transcript