Sharks (rugby union)

The Sharks (known as the Hollywoodbets Sharks for sponsorship reasons) is a South African professional rugby union team based in Durban in KwaZulu-Natal. They compete in the United Rugby Championship and are eligible to compete in either the Investec Champions Cup or EPCR Challenge Cup depending on qualification. They previously competed in the Super Rugby competition until 2020. The team also competes in the Currie Cup as the Sharks XV.

The Sharks as Natal reached the Super 10 final in 1994, as well as the finals of Super Rugby on four occasions. Once as Natal in 1996, and three times as the Sharks in 2001, 2007, and 2012. Though they never won the title. To date, their best performance in the United Rugby Championship is reaching the semi-finals in the 2024–25 URC Season and winning the South African conference shield in the same season. In May 2024, they won their first major competition by winning the 2023–24 EPCR Challenge Cup, becoming the first South African team to win a European trophy.

The team is the fourth most successful provincial union in the Currie Cup, having won the competition nine times. Natal won its first Currie Cup in 1990, the same year the union celebrated its centenary. Since then the Sharks have won the Currie Cup in 1992, 1995, 1996, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2018 and most recently in 2024. The team previously also competing as Natal, the Natal Sharks, and most recently the Sharks XV.

KwaZulu-Natal Rugby are a minority owner of the Sharks franchise, while MVM Holdings are the majority owners with 51% of the voting rights.

The Sharks play their home matches at the Kings Park Stadium in Durban. While also utilizing other local stadiums such as Woodburn Stadium in Petermaritzburg or Sugar Ray Xulu Stadium in Clermont.