LIAM DEL CARME | Sharks striving for ‘social responsibility of inclusivity and diversity’

As much as the Sharks want to take their brand across the seven seas, they remain inextricably connected to the soil of KwaZulu-Natal.

As head coach John Plumtree tries to bed down a playing system that will help the team turn the corner on the field, the organisation at large are deepening its roots in the community.

The Sharks, you see, aren’t just an organisation with a high-performance team at its centre. It is an entity that espouses excellence, empathy and humanity.

It would be easy to disregard the last two virtues when you are as under the cosh as they’ve been.

The tough times they are facing in the results column does not nearly match the vicissitudes that lashed them during the pandemic, while the ensuing KZN riots and floods did little to stem the tide of misfortune.

They’ve helped business owners back onto their feet, fed those who had little or no sustenance and have created space for students and young entrepreneurs with office space and business solutions.

As much as they take pride in not just being a rugby entity, the Sharks are keen to stress they have kept their eye on the ball by being, first and foremost, a high-performance rugby franchise.

It is important to understand no organisation can fix inequality, racism or poverty. We can, however, impact the environment that we operate in.

—  CEO Dr Eduard Coetzee

The bigger picture is not out of sight. “Our values lean us towards a social responsibility of inclusivity and diversity,” explained CEO Dr Eduard Coetzee.

He and those around him believe high performance and social responsibility can coexist. “It is important to understand no organisation can fix inequality, racism or poverty. We can, however, impact the environment that we operate in,” he insisted.

That they apply the human touch isn’t just what they radiate but is their lived experience inside the walls of Kings Park.

Coetzee explains it’s about how you treat people, even when times are tough.

Winning just one game out of 10 in the United Rugby Championship and occupying last spot on the log has invited the ire of their fans. Majority shareholder Marco Masotti is unhappy with the results but has expressed support for the process and the individuals driving it in key positions.

Coetzee is adamant they are not going to paper over cracks and that they have a responsibility to forge a sustainable path.

On that front, some of the Sharks’ detractors have pointed to the alacrity with which they’ve recruited in recent seasons. Some may even suggest the Sharks have not got enough bang for their Bok, but that is likely to change.

Perceptions, as Coetzee and Co are by now be well aware, are hard to shift. They may seem ambitious in their recruitment policy, which is in tune with Masotti’s vision of establishing the team as a global brand, but they are also keenly aware they will have to develop from within to help them on their path to sustainability.

Bradley Davids, Ethan Bester, Coetzee le Roux, Ethan Hooker, Jurenzo Julius, Hakeem Kunene, Lithelihle Bester and Jean Smith may not be names most rugby followers will be familiar with, but they are soon to be unleashed into the senior ranks. Some may have started their journey elsewhere but all have come through the Sharks junior structures.

The need to develop from within naturally deepens the Sharks roots.

It is only from a firm well-established base that the franchise can branch out into the world.

Masotti is keen for the team to be recognised globally. That may come to pass in the fullness of time, but for the moment the Sharks are making real and honest connections that can only stand them in good stead in the capricious business of professional sport.