NRL club signs lucrative deal with drink company

NRL club Cronulla Sharks has announced a $(AUS)2million agreement with SHARK Energy— an energy drink company.

The deal may lead to the Sharks playing a pre-season game in Asia.

Cronulla chairman, Damian Irvine, claimed the club will put its ‘struggling Sharks’ tag behind it with the major sponsorship deal that runs until the end of 2014.

The company, which manufactures drinks in Thailand, could help Cronulla establish a presence in Asia.

“I want our boys and our brand to enter their market,” Irvine said. ‘‘[Playing a game] would be long-term. Maybe in the pre-season but as we’ve shown with this deal, nothing is out of the question.’’

Cronulla started the season without a front of the jersey or sleeve sponsor but a six-game winning streak has improved the club’s off-field fortunes.

The sharks recently agreed a 12-month contract with Fisherman’s Friends’ for sleeves sponsorship and back-of-the-jersey sponsors Luxbet and Hisense are contracted for at least another year.

“In the past, we would have been in dire straits without the sponsors,” Irvine said. “We had to sell them on our region and the great lifestyle of Sutherland Shire.”

The Sharks appear likely to meet their budgeted loss of $(AUS)300,000-$400,000 — a signifcant improvement on the $(AUS)3.5million deficit of three years ago.