The new Sharks Leagues Club at Woolooware Bay will open its doors to members and the public tomorrow at 10am, Saturday 7 November, after the Cronulla-Sutherland Sharks gave media an exclusive first look inside the venue today.
Sharks Chairman Steve Mace and Sharks Group CEO Dino Mezzatesta officially unveiled the club with a ribbon-cutting in the club’s entrance foyer this morning, before media toured the venue with Sharks Coach Craig Fitzgibbon, NRL players Nicho Hynes, Blayke Brailey and Michael Gabrael, NRLW players Teagan Berry and Jada Taylor, and the people behind the new club.
Set beside Ocean Protect Stadium, the year-round, resort-style destination features The Deck, one of Sydney’s largest elevated hospitality decks, with room for about 2,000 people and panoramic views across the stadium, Botany Bay and the Sydney city skyline.
The new Leagues Club also includes The Gallery, The Chairman’s, Sapphire Bay Gaming Lounge and Reefy & Wanda’s Kids Club, with dining from hospitality partner Dedes Waterfront Group at Flying Fish Bistro Cronulla and Amici Pizza Pasta.
Inside, the club combines new spaces with the history of the Sharks. The 2016 premiership trophy greets guests at the front doors, the Immortals Lounge honours the club’s greatest figures, Porchlight Cafe is named after Paul Gallen’s famous 2016 call to turn the porchlights off, and the Summertime Bar carries on the same name from the bar at the old club.
At today’s showcase, Nicho Hynes helped make a wood-fired pizza at Amici Pizza Pasta; new NRLW signing Teagan Berry shook up cocktails at the Summertime Bar; and Blayke Brailey and Jada Taylor joined Dedes Waterfront Group Director Con Dedes to add the finishing touches to a seafood tower at Flying Fish Bistro Cronulla.
Sharks Chairman Steve Mace said, “After seven long years, countless challenges and an extraordinary amount of hard work by so many people, we finally have our home. And what a magnificent home it is!
“It’s a home that honours our past while providing the foundations for the next generation of Sharks history. I genuinely hope that when you walk through those doors, you feel the same sense of pride that I do. Seven years later… we’re back, baby!”
Sharks Group CEO Dino Mezzatesta said, “This is a moment that will be etched into Cronulla Sharks history, and it is an absolute privilege to help showcase our new traditional home.”
“There are so many people I have thanked and need to thank for helping us get here, and with our main Club opening, it’s a great compliment to our Sharks at Kareela Club and makes our group feel more complete and gives us a strong base to move forward.
“Tomorrow is the day our members, fans and the whole Shire have been waiting for. We know it’s been a long wait, and we thank everyone for their patience. We are confident that the new Sharks Leagues Club rates as one of the best in the state and is a place our members and fans will be truly proud of.
“On behalf of the Board, management and all associated, we can’t wait to welcome you back. What a time to be a Shark. Up Up.”
Sharks Leagues Clubs General Manager Julien Bova said, “Our team has been working towards this day for a long time, and we’re ready. We want every member and guest to feel at home the moment they walk in, whether they’re here for a coffee, a meal with the family or a fun night on The Deck. And one membership card gets you into this club and Sharks at Kareela.”
Dedes Waterfront Group Director Con Dedes said, “Flying Fish Bistro Cronulla and Amici Pizza Pasta are ready to go. Fresh seafood and wood-fired pizza with views over the stadium and Botany Bay – there won’t be anywhere else like it in the Shire.”
Dacca Head Architect Tony Maluccio said, “We wanted the club to feel like the Shire: relaxed, sunny and proud of where it’s come from. The design draws on the Sharks’ early days at Endeavour Field and the optimism of the late ’50s 60’s with warm textures and playful touches throughout. And with The Deck looking out over the stadium, Botany Bay and the city, the views do a lot of the work for us.”
Xenia General Manager NSW Gerard McNamara said, “It’s been a privilege to build a venue that means so much to the Sharks and the Shire. Our team is proud to hand over a club the community will enjoy for decades to come, and we’re looking forward to seeing it full of members and fans this weekend.”
The Sharks Leagues Club is a destination for every occasion: morning coffee and gelato, bistro dining, cocktails at the Summertime Bar and shared plates on The Deck, special celebrations and game day hospitality. Doors open to the public at 10am on Saturday 7 November, and from then on the club will be open from 10am until late, seven days a week.
A Sharks Leagues Club membership gives access to both the new club and Sharks at Kareela. Members, fans and the community can explore the new club and become a member at sharksleagues.com.au.
‘The Shire’s Home of Play’ is located at 461 Captain Cook Dr, Woolooware NSW 2230, with parking in the Bay Central Woolooware car park.
