Sharks owner Marco Masotti outlines vision behind club’s new identity

Sharks owner Marco Masotti says the Durban-based club’s decision to become known as Sharks Rugby Club is part of a wider plan to secure its long-term future, rather than simply a change of name and logo.

The club announced on Thursday that it would adopt the new name, introduce a fresh logo and use a redesigned Sharks emblem for promotional purposes.

In a letter published on the team’s social media channels, Masotti said the changes were intended to strengthen the club commercially, culturally and competitively while preserving its history and identity.

“Today we unveil the most significant evolution in The Sharks’ professional history. Not because we wanted a new badge. But because we believe this club deserves a stronger future,” Masotti wrote.

“If all we wanted was a new logo, it would never have been worth putting our supporters through this change. This is about something much bigger than design.”

Masotti, who became the controlling owner of The Sharks, said his connection with the club began as a supporter watching matches alongside his father, Venio Masotti, at Hollywoodbets Kings Park.

He recalled a seat in the South East Stand where he first understood the emotional importance of the team and its connection to Durban and KwaZulu-Natal.

“I remember the noise. I remember the pride. I remember looking at my father after a try had been scored and realising that supporting The Sharks was about more than rugby. It was about family. It was about our province. It was about identity.”

Masotti said that experience made him “a Shark for life” and that taking control of the club was not motivated solely by business considerations.

“Becoming the controlling owner of The Sharks was never a business decision. It was the decision of a supporter who couldn’t stand on the sidelines any longer.”

He added that every decision since taking ownership had been guided by a responsibility to improve the organisation and establish the high standards it should maintain.

The Sharks endured a disappointing campaign last season, although Masotti acknowledged that the club’s most recent years have also included some of the most successful periods in its history. He said the organisation needed to learn from both its achievements and its inconsistency.

“Last season did not reflect the standards of this club or the expectations of our supporters,” he wrote.

Masotti recognised that some supporters had remained loyal during difficult periods, while others had moved away from the team because their attachment had become harder to sustain.

“I don’t ask for blind faith today. I ask only that you judge us by the work now taking shape – on the field, off the field and in the culture we are building throughout this club.”

He said The Sharks had a history of adapting to changes in rugby, pointing to the decision to adopt the name The Sharks in 1996, its embrace of transformation and its use of media and digital platforms to engage supporters.

“Leading this next evolution is not a departure from our history. It is a continuation of it.”

Masotti also argued that professional sport had changed, with successful clubs now required to build strong brands, develop communities, attract commercial partners and offer experiences supporters want to join.

He said increased commercial strength would allow The Sharks to invest in players, coaches, academies and facilities, helping the club compete with the world’s best not only in the next season but for future generations.

“This is not a vanity project. It is a commitment to building a stronger, more sustainable Sharks.”

The owner acknowledged that a new badge could be difficult for supporters who associate the previous emblem with family photographs, old jerseys and memories shared across generations.

“Our badge is evolving. Our DNA is not.”

Masotti said the club’s hunger, resilience, courage and pride in representing KwaZulu-Natal would remain unchanged, along with its Black and White identity.

He added that the rebrand was intended to ensure the club’s history continued into the future, with every new supporter, partnership, rugby investment and young player serving the same objective: handing The Sharks to the next generation in a stronger position.

“The club belonged to generations of supporters long before I became its owner. It will belong to generations long after I am gone. I have simply been entrusted with looking after it for a while.”

Masotti ended by saying supporters did not have to embrace every change immediately, but asked them to judge the new identity by the rugby The Sharks play, the people the club develops and the pride supporters feel when wearing the Black and White.

“Because this club has never belonged to an owner. It belongs to every player who has worn this jersey. Every supporter who has filled Kings Park. Every child who dreams of representing KwaZulu-Natal.”

His letter concluded with the pledge: “To improve this club and institutionalise the excellence it deserves.”

It was signed off with the words: “With enormous pride, and with the love of a lifelong Shark,” followed by his name, Sharks Rugby Club and the slogan “BLACK WHITE FOREVER”.