What athletes want from their brand partners: Mark Knowles, Caitlin Bassett, Robbie Cornthwaite and Emma Tonegato

There aren’t enough opportunities for Australian athletes to work with brands unless they’re “the superstars”, according to Robbie Cornthwaite, soccer player for the Western Sydney Wanderers.

Mark Knowles, Caitlin Bassett, Robbie Cornthwaite, Emma Tonegato and James Begley at Mumbrella’s Sports Marketing Summit

Speaking at Mumbrella’s Sports Marketing Summit, Cornthwaite said there are fantastic athletes out there who have the potential to be wonderful brand ambassadors for companies or products, but that they “need to be given a bit more of an opportunity.”

Cornthwaite was joined by three fellow Australian athletes from the worlds of netball, rugby and hockey as they sat down to discuss working with brand partners. Included in the discussion were Mark Knowles, captain of the Australian Hockey team; Caitlin Bassett, goal shooter for the Diamonds and Sunshine Coast Lightning; and Emma Tonegato, Australian rugby sevens player and Olympic gold medalist.