The Sharks rugby team
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1890
- HeadquartersDurban, South Africa
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
The Sharks rugby team firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Sharks rugby team
- Legal name
- The Sharks (Pty) Ltd
- Website
- https://sharksrugby.co.za
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1890
- Operating status
- Operating
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Sharks rugby team industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Rugby Club / Sports Franchise
- NAICS
- Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Team Sports Clubs (Football/Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Hockey, Rugby, Cricket, etc.) (MPAKABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Athlete & Team Sponsorship Deals (Official Partners, Jersey/Kit Sponsors) (MPAKALAA), Sports Collectibles, Fan Gear & Licensed Merchandise Retail (CRAMABAO), Team Sports Matches (Club & National) (MPAGAMAB)
Keywords
Where The Sharks rugby team is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Durban
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices3 records
Markets served
The Sharks rugby team business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Merchandise Sales: Direct sales of replica jerseys, apparel, accessories, and branded merchandise through e-commerce platform and physical Shark Cage retail store. Products include Umbro Sharks jerseys, golf shirts, jackets, kids apparel, and accessories.
- Match Day Tickets: Revenue from match day ticket sales for Vodacom United Rugby Championship, Investec Champions Cup, and Carling Currie Cup fixtures at Hollywoodbets Kings Park and DHL Stadium venues.
- Seasonal Memberships: Season ticket holder memberships providing access to all home matches for the season, with competition running for 25/26 season.
- Match Day Hospitality: Suite packages and hospitality services offered during match days, including suite leases for corporate clients.
- Sponsorship Revenue: Multiple sponsorship tiers including title sponsor (Hollywoodbets), apparel sponsor (Umbro), stadium sponsor, associate sponsors, official partners, media partners, medical sponsors, development sponsors, and club sponsors.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Replica Jerseys |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Apparel - Gilets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Apparel - T-Shirts |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Apparel - Golfers |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Apparel - Shorts |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Kids Apparel |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Accessories |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Personalisation |
| Subscription | Annual | Seasonal Memberships |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Sharks rugby team product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Sharks operate a professional rugby union franchise that competes in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, Investec Champions Cup, and Carling Currie Cup. Their commercial operations centre on selling official replica jerseys, apparel, and accessories through an online store and physical Shark Cage retail outlet, supplemented by match day ticket sales, seasonal memberships, corporate hospitality suites, venue hire, mascot hire, co-working space, and the Players First player welfare and entrepreneurship program.
Product overview
The Sharks rugby team operates primarily as a professional rugby franchise competing in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, Investec Champions Cup, and Carling Currie Cup. Their commercial operations center on the Shark Cage merchandise store selling official branded merchandise including Umbro replica jerseys for men, women, and kids (featuring 25/26 and 24/25 season designs), Champions Cup replicas, apparel items such as golfers, gilets, t-shirts, track pants, and shorts, plus infant and Springbok-branded products. The team also offers experiential products and services including Sharkie mascot hire, venue hire at Hollywoodbets Kings Park, match day hospitality with suite packages, seasonal memberships, and ticketing for home fixtures. Additional offerings include a co-working Business Centre facility and the Players First program for player welfare and post-career development. The online store supports national delivery via Aramex courier and click-and-collect at the stadium store.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Official Sharks Replica Jerseys and Apparel
Quantifiable outcome
- The Sharks Entrepreneurship Academy has acquired Afro's Chicken Store franchise as first trading entity for player post-career development
Companies that use The Sharks rugby team
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Sharks rugby team technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
The Sharks rugby team partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, associate, official and medical.
- HollywoodbetscoreTitle sponsor of The Sharks rugby team. Hollywoodbets branding prominently featured on team logo, jerseys, and stadium visibility at Kings Park. Provides primary commercial naming rights partnership.
- UmbrocoreOfficial apparel sponsor providing replica jerseys, training gear, and merchandise for the team. Umbro-branded Sharks products sold through official stores.
- Jonsson WorkwearassociateAssociate sponsor and partner with dedicated logo placement and branding visibility.
- SparassociateAssociate sponsor providing retail partnership and community engagement opportunities.
- Castle LagerassociateAssociate sponsor representing major South African beer brand partnership.
- SupersportcoreOfficial media partner providing broadcast coverage of Sharks matches and team content to South African audiences.
- East Coast RadiocoreOfficial media partner providing radio coverage and promotional support for The Sharks in KwaZulu-Natal region.
- FNB (First National Bank)coreFinancial services partner for Players First program, providing financial advice, job shadowing, and work experience opportunities for players through the bank and its clients.
- Afro's ChickencoreThrough the Sharks Entrepreneurship Academy (SEA), The Sharks acquired Afro's Chicken Store in Umhlanga as the first franchise entity managed by players, supporting post-rugby career development and community entrepreneurship.
- Action CoachcoreBusiness coaching and mentorship partner for Players First program. Trevor Clark provides coaching services to help players develop entrepreneurial skills and business acumen.
- Red BullofficialOfficial partner providing energy drink sponsorship and brand association.
- GilbertofficialOfficial ball sponsor providing rugby balls for the team, including supporter balls sold in the merchandise store.
- Southern SunofficialOfficial hotel and hospitality partner providing accommodation services for away teams and traveling support.
- ER24medicalMedical sponsor providing emergency medical services and support at matches and events.
- SA RugbycoreDevelopment sponsor representing the national rugby governing body partnership for player development and rugby development programs.
- Durban TourismassociateOfficial tourism partner representing Durban city marketing and visitor attraction initiatives.
- NutritechofficialOfficial nutrition and fitness partner supporting player nutrition programs.
- AramexofficialOfficial courier partner for e-commerce delivery services, handling national deliveries within South Africa (2-5 working days) and international shipments.
- ThuleofficialOfficial partner for lifestyle and outdoor equipment branding.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Sharks rugby team competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Leinster Rugby: Dublin-based province competing in the URC and Champions Cup; benchmark European peer with a mature commercial operation including title sponsors, premium hospitality, and large merchandise catalogue.
- Cardiff Rugby: Welsh capital-based URC region, hosting The Sharks away in Cardiff Arms Park; operates a similar professional-rugby commercial spine built on membership and sponsorship revenue.
- Lions (Emirates Lions): Johannesburg-based URC and Currie Cup franchise; same league participation, similar D2C merchandise and membership revenue mix; direct competitor for South African rugby fan wallet share.
- Munster Rugby: Limerick-based Irish province in the same URC and Champions Cup competitions; runs an analogous sponsorship-tier, membership, and match-day hospitality revenue model.
- Ospreys Rugby: Welsh region competing in the URC; plays The Sharks directly in VURC fixtures; comparable governance and commercial structure around stadium, merchandise and sponsors.
- DHL Stormers: Cape Town-based URC and Champions Cup franchise and direct domestic rival; competes in the identical VURC/Champions Cup/Currie Cup mix with a similar sponsorship-led commercial model and stadium-anchored revenue stack.
- Cheetahs (Toyota Cheetahs): Bloemfontein-based franchise in the Currie Cup Premier Division and Challenger URC; closely comparable operating model — competing for the same South African sponsorship inventory and fan base.
- Vodacom Bulls: Pretoria-based URC franchise and fellow South African top-tier rugby side operating a comparable multi-tier sponsorship, hospitality, and merchandise model centred on Loftus Versfeld.
Broad incumbents
- Saracens: English Premiership powerhouse and benchmark franchise known for elite commercial performance and stadium hospitality; comparable scope of merchandise, sponsors, and match-day offerings but in a different league ecosystem.
Others
- Hollywoodbets (Kingsmead): Title sponsor with deep commercial integration across the Sharks franchise; not a rugby competitor, but represents the central sponsorship counterparty that anchors The Sharks' revenue base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Sharks rugby team social profiles
Digital presenceThe Sharks rugby team financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Sharks rugby team leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
The Sharks rugby team subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries7 records
The Sharks rugby team funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Sharks rugby team M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Sharks rugby team
What does The Sharks rugby team do?
The Sharks operate a professional rugby union franchise that competes in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, Investec Champions Cup, and Carling Currie Cup. Their commercial operations centre on selling official replica jerseys, apparel, and accessories through an online store and physical Shark Cage retail outlet, supplemented by match day ticket sales, seasonal memberships, corporate hospitality suites, venue hire, mascot hire, co-working space, and the Players First player welfare and entrepreneurship program.
Is The Sharks rugby team a public or private company?
The Sharks rugby team is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was The Sharks rugby team founded?
The Sharks rugby team was founded in 1890.
Where is The Sharks rugby team based?
The Sharks rugby team is headquartered in Durban, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does The Sharks rugby team make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Merchandise Sales are the primary driver. The others are match Day Tickets, seasonal Memberships, match Day Hospitality and sponsorship Revenue.
Who are The Sharks rugby team's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Leinster Rugby, Cardiff Rugby, Lions (Emirates Lions), Munster Rugby, Ospreys Rugby, DHL Stormers, Cheetahs (Toyota Cheetahs) and Vodacom Bulls. Saracens is listed as a broad incumbent. Hollywoodbets (Kingsmead) is listed as an others.
Does The Sharks rugby team have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Sharks rugby team.
What industry is The Sharks rugby team in?
The Sharks rugby team's product category is Professional Rugby Club / Sports Franchise. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKABAA, Team Sports Clubs (Football/Soccer, Basketball, Baseball, Hockey, Rugby, Cricket, etc.), with a secondary code of MPAKALAA, Athlete & Team Sponsorship Deals (Official Partners, Jersey/Kit Sponsors). Its NAICS code is 711211 and its SIC code is 7997.