Melbourne Renegades BBL club launches legal action against sponsor

Victorian BBL club the Melbourne Renegades has launched legal action against a sponsor over allegations of $150,000 in unpaid fees.

Cricket Victoria, which owns the Renegades, filed a writ in the County Court alleging tech company Solos failed to pay three-quarters of the money it owed the sporting organisation.

The logo of Solos, a technology firm based in Sydney that sells “state of the art” anti-counterfeiting tools, was featured on the right sleeve of the Renegades shirt during last summer’s BBL competition.

The company also sponsored NBL club South East Melbourne Phoenix.

Posts on the company’s LinkedIn page shows Solos spruiking the sponsorship arrangement with both sports organisations, and they marketed themselves as the Renegades’ “fan engagement technology partner”.

Renegades players Beau Webster, Jon Holland and Benny Howell also featured in a video thanking Solos for their support and wishing the staff a Merry Christmas in 2020.

But Cricket Victoria now claims the company failed to pay the Renegades $150,000 owed under their sponsorship agreement.

A statement of claim filed with the County Court states the two parties entered into an agreement on November 24 last year.

According to the court documents, Solos would pay Cricket Victoria $200,000 plus GST in exchange for receiving certain sponsorship benefits.

Cricket Victoria claim Solos paid the first $50,000 but “failed and/or refused to make payment of other invoices totalling $150,000”.

According to the statement of claim, the two parties entered a terms of settlement in respect of the outstanding amount on August 18 this year where Solos would pay Cricket Victoria $126,500 in two instalments.

But Cricket Victoria claims the company failed to pay the instalments when they were due.

“As of the date of this statement of claim, Solos has failed to remedy the payment default or otherwise make payment to Cricket Victoria in the amount claimed or at all,” the court documents state.

Solos was given 21 days from September 29 to file an appearance if it planned to defend the allegations. A hearing date for the civil case is yet to be locked in.

NCA NewsWire has contacted Solos and their lawyers for comment.

jack.paynter@news.com.au