Sharks XV's Currie Cup clash with Lions to be a fundraiser for Jeremy Swan

Sharks Rugby Club have announced that this Friday’s Currie Cup clash between the Hollywoodbets Sharks XV and Fidelity ADT Lions at Woodburn Stadium in Pietermaritzburg, will be a fundraising match in support of local rugby player Jeremy Swan, who sustained a serious, life-changing neck injury while playing for Maritzburg Rugby Club against Amanzimtoti Rugby Club on 11 July.

In a show of solidarity with Jeremy and his family, 100% of the proceeds from the match will be donated to the Swan family to assist with medical and other expenses arising from Jeremy’s injury.

The 26-year-old Maritzburg College old boy is a well-known member of the local rugby community and The Sharks are calling on the people of Pietermaritzburg and the wider rugby fraternity to come together in support of the Swan family.

Sharks Rugby Club will also engage with Maritzburg College and its Old Boys’ network, encouraging former pupils to attend the match in numbers and help create a powerful show of support for one of their own.

Sharks Rugby Club CEO Shaun Bryans said: “Rugby is about so much more than what happens on the field. It is about community, camaraderie and standing together when one of our own needs us most. Jeremy and his family are facing an incredibly difficult and life-changing journey, and we want them to know that they are not alone.

“As The Sharks, we believe strongly in the power of our rugby community and the difference we can make when we come together. This match provides us with an opportunity to do something meaningful for Jeremy and his family, and we are appealing to the people of Pietermaritzburg, our supporters, the Maritzburg College Old Boys’ network and the broader rugby community to get behind this initiative.

“Every ticket purchased will make a difference, with 100% of the proceeds going directly to the Swan family. We would love to see Woodburn Stadium full on Friday night as we rally behind Jeremy and show him and his family the strength of our rugby community.”

The match kicks off at 7.15pm, with gates opening at 2pm. The curtain raiser to the main match sees the U/20 Sharks Gen take on the Toyota Cheetahs U/20 (4pm).

Tickets are available from www.sharksrugby.co.za or from the satellite ticket station at Woodburn Stadium on Thursday, 20 August and Friday, 21 August.

Sharks Rugby Club encourage supporters to purchase their tickets, bring their families and friends, and fill Woodburn Stadium as the rugby community comes together for Jeremy and the Swan family.

Meanwhile, passengers travelling with LIFT got a little more than the usual onboard service this week when the Sharks mascot made a surprise appearance in the cabin to officially launch a new partnership between The Sharks and LIFT.

Sharkie surprised passengers onboard a LIFT flight from Durban, handing out Sharks merchandise and match tickets before even lending the cabin crew a hand with the onboard trolley.

The activation marked the official start of a new domestic airline partnership between two proudly South African brands, bringing together the Sharks and LIFT around a shared focus on memorable experiences and doing things differently. Under the tagline, LIFT the Pride. Fly the Future., LIFT will support the Sharks and its stakeholders as they travel across South Africa throughout the partnership.

For Sharks Rugby Club, the partnership forms part of the franchise’s broader commercial strategy to build meaningful relationships with progressive South African brands while enhancing the experience of players, staff, partners and supporters.

Michael Leslie, Chief Growth Officer of Sharks Rugby Club, said: “We are delighted to welcome LIFT to the Sharks family as a domestic airline partner. LIFT is a brand that shares many of the values we strive to embody-innovation, energy, customer focus and a willingness to do things differently. The partnership is a natural fit as we continue to build The Sharks into a modern, challenger brand, both on and off the field. We look forward to working with the LIFT team and bringing the ‘LIFT the Pride. Fly the Future’ message to life throughout this partnership.”

Cilliers Jordaan, Chief Commercial Officer of LIFT, said: “LIFT has always believed that partnerships should create something meaningful for the people who experience them. The Sharks have an incredibly passionate supporter base and a strong identity, which makes this partnership a natural fit for us. Launching it onboard gave us the opportunity to bring that energy directly to our travellers from day one. We’re excited about what we can create together, both in the air and beyond it.”

The partnership will see LIFT and the Sharks collaborate on a range of brand and fan engagement opportunities, connecting LIFT with the Sharks’ passionate supporter base while celebrating the pride of representing KwaZulu-Natal on the national and international rugby stage.

Sharks Rugby Club and LIFT look forward to taking supporters on the journey as the partnership gets off the ground.