Ali Williams has shut down the prospect of launching a rebel netball league in the wake of Netball New Zealand's decision to axe plans for a new privately-owned domestic competition.
By Dana Johannsen of RNZ
RNZ revealed last week the national body had pulled the pin on negotiations with the former All Black and his wife Anna Mowbray over plans to privatise the elite domestic competition, just eight weeks after signing a term sheet with the investors.
The collapse has plunged the future of elite domestic netball into further uncertainty, with Netball NZ working on an alternative model to get a competition up and running in 2027.
But with officials unable to offer players any guarantees there will be a professional league next season, the prospect of a breakaway competition had been floated among the netball community.
However, Williams on Tuesday ruled out the idea, saying he had no appetite to cause a civil war in the sport.
"You give yourself 24 hours and you go back to what are your intentions? What are you trying to achieve?" Williams told RNZ.
"We're trying to achieve a greater domestic league, a better Silver Ferns, a stronger netball ecosystem. Would [forming a rebel league] really help it? And I think the answer for us was 'no'.
"So we got to the point, look, there's no point doing that. It's a massive investment, like double what it would be now because you've got to fight [Netball NZ]. There's no point in doing that. We're not here to fight or to break something, we're here to help something. There's no purpose in a rebel league."
But while a breakaway league is off the table, Williams said the pair have not abandoned their ambitions for the sport.
The organisation’s new chief executive Jennah Wootten said while there had been challenges recently, there was also a lot to be positive about. (Source: Breakfast)
"We still want to help. We still believe in the vision we had for netball, we still think we can make it happen."
RNZ understands the New Zealand Netball Players' Association (NZNPA) is pushing for the players to be involved in a mediated discussion with the investors and Netball NZ.
Asked if he and Mowbray would consider getting around the table with Netball NZ, Williams responded: "Look, we have always been aligned with the players. We are always in daily comms with the players and the association … so we're constantly talking and where things evolve, we're not going away, if that makes sense. We'll see what happens from a player's point of view."
But any prospect of getting the two parties back around the table is likely to require some diplomatic heavy lifting, given the bitterness surrounding the collapse of negotiations.
Williams believes the couple had made significant progress towards getting the competition off the ground, claiming they had secured sponsorship and broadcasting deals, as well as reached an agreement with the NZNPA.
"I didn't have signed deals because I couldn't sign anything until we have [a longform agreement]. So did I have term sheets in place with sponsors? Yes. Did I have broadcast deals in place? Yes. Did I have player association agreements? Yes."
That makes the abrupt end to negotiations all the more difficult for the investors to understand.
In announcing its decision to pull the pin on plans for a privatised league, Netball NZ said despite "considerable efforts by both parties" it was clear that an agreement could not be reached.
'It's like being dumped' - Netball NZ CEO
Netball NZ chief executive Jennah Wootten offered further insight on Monday, claiming negotiations with the pair strayed too far away from the key elements of the original agreed terms, ultimately prompting the board to walk away.
"A number of the things that I talked about when the term sheet was signed in regards to features of the likely future arrangement had shifted," Wootten said.
"Some of those shifts were okay and some of those shifts the Netball New Zealand board felt comfortable with, but others the board did not feel comfortable with."
While Wootten said it had become obvious that the parties had reached an impasse, Williams maintains he had no inkling that things had gone "awry".
"I think two weeks prior [to being told the deal was off] we had a three hour meeting with the Netball NZ board. The sentiment we left with from them was 'we're 100% engaged and we want to make this work'."
"So that's it and we still sit in this position today and don't understand why. We genuinely had no understanding that they were second guessing.
Williams said other than a brief phone call with Wootten on Friday, he has not had any communication with Netball NZ since receiving an email on Thursday telling him the deal was off.
Addressing criticism over how the decision was communicated to Mowbray and Williams, Wootten told RNZ that in her email to the couple informing them of the board's position, she invited them to a meeting the following morning to outline Netball NZ's position and discuss "next steps".
The offer was not taken up.
Asked why they did not attend the meeting to get an explanation of why Netball NZ had ended negotiations, Williams responded:
"Well, when did they send it to us? It was after [the decision].
Mowbray-Williams 'devastated' as Netball NZ blow whistle on league
Mowbray and Williams – who are also co-owners of A-League side Auckland FC – planned to establish a private franchise league to replace the ANZ Premiership, following months of uncertainty about the competition's future.
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"You know what I mean? It's like being dumped. Do you want to get a text message after that and then go and catch up with someone? No, you want to have that conversation first."
While the two parties remain at odds over why negotiations fell apart, the uncertainty is being felt most acutely by the players, who are still waiting for answers about the future of their competition.
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