England Netball prepared for "considerable financial pressure" as suspension of sport hits finances

England Netball is bracing itself for “considerable financial pressure” as franchises in the country’s elite netball tier weigh up whether to place players on furlough.

Reigning Superleague champions Manchester Thunder are the only franchise so far to have furloughed their 15-strong playing squad and two coaches, under the government’s scheme to protect businesses during the coronavirus pandemic.

With 80 per cent of wages covered under the scheme, up to a maximum of £2,500 per month, Thunder will top up the remaining 20 per cent so their players and staff will continue to be paid in full.

Other franchises contacted by The Daily Telegraph said they are yet to make a decision. The furlough scheme could, however, prove problematic because some athletes are employed by their franchise while others are self-employed and juggling other jobs.

A spokesperson from England Netball said: “Like many businesses across the country the current situation caused by the coronavirus outbreak stands to put England Netball under considerable financial pressure over the coming year. We are therefore working closely with our partners to understand the true impact it could potentially have on the sport ongoing, so we can plan accordingly.

“We remain focused on supporting the whole netball family at this difficult time, from grass roots to elite netball, which includes working collectively with Vitality Netball Superleague teams to create contingency plans from a financial and competition perspective.”

Netballers in Australia’s professional Suncorp League are already facing a 70 per cent pay reduction, while Netball Australia has cut its workforce by half and reduced all executive staff members’ salaries.

It is thought that franchises need between £300,000 and £400,000 for a full Superleague season. Money from headline sponsors is worth in the region of £20,000 to £50,000.

It remains to be seen whether the Superleague’s main sponsor, Vitality, could help plug the gap left by the competition’s indefinite suspension. The private medical insurance company told the Telegraph its support for the competition would continue as part of its existing package with England Netball.

Genevieve Gordon, the chair of the British Association of Sport and Law, who helped to write Superleague contracts, said furloughing players could trigger long-term considerations. “If players are furloughed, the question really is are they free agents?” she asked. “If they’re free agents, they don’t have to go back to the club they started the season with.”

She added that Superleague contracts do not include a force majeure clause, which voids contracts when extraordinary circumstances or ‘acts of God’ prevent one party from fulfilling obligations.

“Everyone keeps on saying how unprecedented this is,” said Gordon. “That is driving me crazy, because the contracts should absolutely consider these things. When I’ve written them before for clubs across various sports, they say, ‘Oh, we don’t need to worry about that,’ and you think, ‘You do, you just choose not to.’ That decision is now coming back to haunt a lot of people.”