By JULIE ASH
They may be world champions, but many of the Silver Ferns found themselves in a bit of a spin trying to construct one of their new premier sponsor's products.
Netball New Zealand yesterday announced a four-year deal with Fisher & Paykel Appliances.
Fisher & Paykel have an eight-year history with
Netball New Zealand, but have now become the premier sponsor of the Silver Ferns and Netball New Zealand.
With the Silver Ferns, the company will be the premier sponsor of the New Zealand Academy side and the New Zealand under-21 team, who will compete in next year's world youth championships in Florida.
It will also continue to sponsor an international series played in New Zealand.
Though neither party will say how much the deal is worth, Netball New Zealand chief executive Shelley McMeeken said it was significant and was more than likely the biggest sponsorship deal in women's sport in this country.
The deal means Vodafone will no longer have the naming rights to the Silver Ferns.
A test series against Australia in June will be the first outing for the Silver Ferns since their world championship victory in Jamaica last year.
The world's top-six countries are, however, planning a co-ordinated fixture list for the first time.
To mark the sponsorship, 10 members of the world champion Silver Ferns side visited the company's headquarters in Auckland yesterday, where their mission was to help assemble several washing machines.
