London new hunting ground for Sharks
SA franchise to play some of their games in England
Sharks CEO Eduard Coetzee revealed that they are looking to play some of their home games next season in London in the hopes of growing their footprint in Europe.
Coetzee’s tenure at the Sharks has seen the name of the rugby franchise grow, sealing deals with companies such as MVM Holdings and Roc Nation then signing galacticos like Siya Kolisi, Bongi Mbonambi and Eben Etzebeth.
The moves Coetzee has made over the past year have seen the Sharks become one of the most recognisable sporting franchises in SA along with the likes of Kaizer Chiefs, Mamelodi Sundowns and the Bulls.
With the Sharks playing in multinational competition the United Rugby Championship, they also have gained momentum in Europe.
To maximise on the strides the Sharks brand has made in Europe, Coetzee is masterminding a plan to play some of their games in England, as they will be involved in two European competitions the URC and the Champions Cup.
“We already have a base in Geneva, Switzerland for training camps and stuff like that; we went there last year.
“We have registered a stadium in London as our second home base so when the opportunity arises, we’ll be able to play some of our fixtures in London,” Coetzee told Sowetan. “Commercially that would be a great opportunity for us to take the brand and create some additional revenue. We’ll play one or two games there. I think it’s important... It’s not as if we are taking content away from our season ticket and suite holders. We are going to replace the games we are taking out with higher profile games.”
The Sharks have 11 players currently with the Springboks, with Kolisi, Mbonambi, Etzebeth, Lukhanyo Am and Makazole Mapimpi set to start against Wales tomorrow at Loftus Versfeld at 5.05pm.
Coetzee said the union is adjusting to having a huge chunk of their players away on international duty.