Netball pay cut eased ahead of Super play

Super Netball players will get a big pay boost as they resume full training next week ahead of the competition start on August 1.

Players in the Australian league took a 70 per cent pay cut in March in order to reduce the financial impact of COVID-19.

But the financial pressure is set to ease with the Super Netball League and the Australian Netball Players' Association (ANPA) announcing a new agreement on Thursday.

The pay cut for top players has been reduced to 30 per cent from June 22, while players who are normally paid below $61,007 (including super) will receive JobKeeper payments.

Once the government's JobKeeper initiative ends at the end of September, all players will be paid 70 per cent of their salary through to the end of the agreement on 30 November.

This means players will receive at least 80 per cent of their equivalent full salary during the extended 14-month contract period.

Australian Netball Players' Association CEO Kathryn Harby-Williams was pleased to have secured this final agreement.

"Whilst it has been an extremely challenging period for the playing group, they are extremely excited that a season start date is on the horizon," Harby-Williams said.

"Locking in August 1 allowed us to focus on finalising the pay deal which, as always, was tackled by the ANPA Board, delegates and players with the utmost consideration and respect to the sport and its stakeholders.

"I'd particularly like to acknowledge the higher paid players who have sacrificed the most but without complaint."

From Monday all eight teams will return to a maximum of 23 hours per week of training, as league officials continue to finalise the 2020 season structure and schedule.