Otago's elite netball players will each be asked to pay $200 towards the cost of competing at the national netball championships in Palmerston North in September.
The fee will help Netball Otago meet the estimated $42,000 price tag of its campaign.
Otago's decision to levy players can perhapsbe viewed as evidence of an emerging gap between netball's elite and the next tier and comes at a time when New Zealand's top players are pondering potential lucrative salary packages in next year's Tasman Trophy.
Veteran Otago mid-courter Debbie White was willing to pay to play "if that's what it takes", but admitted she was shocked.
"I've had no experience planning or financing a national competition but I'm just surprised that Otago's elite team has to pay its own way to the nationals," White said.
"I think it is quite funny. Imagine if the rugby guys got asked to pay."
White was also concerned the fee might scare some players off. "It will be quite hard on some people. We've got a lot of students and $200 is a lot of money."
Netball Otago regional manager Nicki Paterson said the fee was new but not uncommon among other associations.
"It [the fee] is new this year but a lot of other regions in the country do put a levy on as well," Paterson said.
"So I don't think it is unusual. It is a fairly expensive exercise to get two teams to Palmerston North for a week. Ideally we wouldn't have to [ask players to contribute] but that is where we are and, to keep afloat, that's what we have to do. Even if we had managed to get a naming right sponsor there would, most likely, still be a shortfall."
Paterson said Netball Otago would provide players support if they were having difficulty finding the money. Otago will send two squads of 12 to compete at the tournament.
