Iron ore producer Fortescue Metals Group has enhanced its partnership with Hockey Australia by agreeing to sponsor its women’s national team.
Fortescue has also signed a three-year extension of its partnership with Australia’s men’s national team. The new deal will run until the end of 2018. The current contract between the two parties was due to expire this year.
In addition, Fortescue has agreed a five-year extension of its partnership with the National Indigenous Hockey Program, a Hockey Australia initiative which promotes healthy living, school attendance and sports participation in the Pilbara region of the country.
“The sponsorship of the Hockeyroos (Australia’s women’s national team) fits well with our desire to grow the indigenous program, but also to publicly demonstrate our commitment to gender equality,” Fortescue chief executive Nev Power said.
“Hockey Australia pools sponsorship revenues and pays female and male athletes equally, but by signing on formally as a sponsor, we are very excited to be more directly associated with the Hockeyroos.”
Fortescue first partnered with Hockey Australia on the National Indigenous Program in June 2011 before becoming a corporate sponsor of the men’s team a year later.