The Cronulla Sharks continue to consider evidence-led strategies that may help players optimise their performance, recovery, and manage the demands of an NRL season. Following an extensive trial period, the club have partnered with KURE Oxygen Water, a water designed to support training and recovery.
KURE is infused with stable oxygen nanobubbles and is designed to sit alongside daily hydration as a functional oxygen supplement. The feedback from Sharks athletes has been positive, particularly around perceived improvements in recovery, sleep quality and sustained energy at training.
Cronulla High-Performance Manager Nathan Pickworth has endorsed the product, along with members of the playing group.
KL Iro described initial scepticism before becoming convinced by his own experience.
"Honestly, when I first heard about KURE, I thought it sounded like a gimmick," Iro shared.
"But after using it consistently, I started noticing a difference, particularly around recovery."
Jesse Colquhoun said the product had become a regular part of his weekly preparation.
"At this level you're always looking for ways to perform better and recover faster,” Colquhoun explained.
"KURE has become something I use every week. It's now part of my preparation leading into games and part of my recovery afterwards."
Tom Hazelton said the collective buy-in across the squad had been significant.
"Once the boys started seeing results, everyone wanted to give it a go. The uptake throughout the group has been incredible,” Hazelton added.
The partnership follows a period of evaluation by Sharks players and performance staff, during which KURE became increasingly integrated into player preparation and recovery routines.
KURE Australia CEO Andrew Blow said the partnership represented an important milestone for both the company and Australian sport.
"Professional athletes are among the most sceptical consumers in the world, and rightly so," said Blow.
"They are exposed to countless products, supplements and recovery interventions every year. If something doesn't deliver value, it gets discarded very quickly.
"What makes the Sharks partnership so exciting is that it wasn't driven by marketing. It was driven by player experience.
"The club took a punt on a completely novel technology. The players tried it, they embraced it, and over time it became part of their routine. That's ultimately what led us to this partnership."
As part of the partnership, KURE will work closely with the Sharks throughout the season, supporting player preparation, recovery and performance initiatives while also collaborating on content and community engagement programs.
