DUNEDIN - Otago Rebels shooter Jo Steed will be playing for love, not money, in tomorrow night's national league netball final.
The 24-year-old relief teacher shapes as a key player in the showdown with Southern Sting at Dunedin Stadium. But it is certainly not for financial gain that she and her team-mates strive to repeat the first leg of their double championship-winning success of last season.
New Zealand netball last year embraced a new era of semi-professionalism, launching the revamped Coca-Cola Cup as its flagship event.
Steed was reluctant to give details of what a top provincial netballer could earn, but smiled when asked if a player could make a living in the sport.
"Nothing has really changed," she said. "It's nice to get a bit of money for playing netball, but the dollar signs are pathetic compared to some other sports."
All 15 members of the Rebels squad work or are studying at a tertiary institution.
"I guess we're a little jealous sometimes of what rugby's Highlanders get," Steed said. "But we have a passion for netball that means we'll still play it even though the money's not great." - NZPA
Netball: Rebels look for their reward on the court
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