SWIMMING UPSTREAM: Sharks owner Marco Masotti still ‘not giving up’ on franchise despite not breaking even

Marco Masotti, the US-based owner of the Sharks rugby team, remains committed to the franchise despite not breaking even. Based in Manhattan, Masotti oversees the Sharks from afar, devoting his free time to the team's day-to-day operations. He is a major financier of the club but cannot physically manage it due to his position as a global head of private equity at a prestigious New York law firm.

Since taking over the Sharks five years ago, Masotti aimed to transform the struggling provincial union into a global superclub, similar to Liverpool or Manchester United. Although he has achieved significant progress, he acknowledges that mistakes were made along the way. The first two years were spent stabilizing the team financially and improving its profile.

For the 2024 season, the Sharks won the European Challenge Cup and qualified for the United Rugby Championship (URC) playoffs. However, they missed out on the playoffs in 2026, which Masotti views as an opportunity to reset. He has restructured the off-field operations of the Sharks, implementing a chief of staff, a general manager, and a dedicated recruitment committee.

Masotti emphasizes that owning the Sharks is both an investment and a passion project. He relies on data analytics, like AI-generated "Operation Isandlwana", to plan the season and optimize player performance. While he cannot disclose the exact amount he has personally invested, he confirms that the majority of the funding has come from his own resources.

The Sharks' owner faces challenges in the South African rugby landscape, where the leading four clubs have sometimes clashed with the South African Rugby Union (Saru). The Sharks were part of the group that blocked Saru's potential equity sale, believing it was undervalued. Despite the tensions, Masotti remains committed to the Sharks and does not plan to step away from his ownership role just yet.