Regional fee jump may see club cut

Netball Wairarapa officials have been rocked by news of a substantial rise in afilliation fees being asked of them by Netball Wellington Region for the 2010 season.
They have gone from $15,464 to $26,959, a state of affairs which centre manager Kim Whiteman concedes could force a dramatic increase in team fees charged to local schools and clubs by Netball Wairarapa and a consequent decrease in player numbers here.
"Obviously we don't want to place any extra financial burdens on anyone but what are the alternatives.........that's the problem, "Whiteman said. "You just can't pluck that sort of money out of thin air."
Whiteman is hopeful a special meeting of club and school delegates to be held at the Netball Wairarapa Colombo road pavilion tonight will provide an acceptable answer to the problem but she also admits to not holding her breath.
"Quite honestly it's hard to see them being too enthusiastic at all about paying more money either and who can blame them," she said, adding that if the rise in affiliation fees was to be solely met by schools and clubs it would mean an increase in team fees of about $150 per team.
"The big worry is if we have to go with that way some teams will simply fall by the wayside and that's the last thing we want to happen," Whiteman said. "We are trying to encourage more players into the game, not the other way around."
A major reason for Netball Wellington Region raising their affiliation fees is the need for them to pay off their current Pulse franchise loan and Whiteman expects that to attract spirited debate at tonight's meeting.
"It's difficult to imagine Wairarapa-Bush rugby having to cough up like this if the Hurricanes were in the same boat.," she said.
Whiteman said Netball Wellington Region officials would be meeting with their Wairarapa counterparts in Masterton next week and it was intended to furnish them with a full report of tonight's deliberations.
"We will be making them aware of what the local netball community thinks, no question of that,": she said.