The Cronulla Sharks touched down yesterday in Sydney from their NRL in Vegas tour. Although just missing out on two opening round competition points, the club is celebrating a highly successful campaign, including a global mega-star as a new fan.
Sharks players Nicho Hynes and Kayal Iro experienced a once-in-a-lifetime encounter with pop sensation Katy Perry on the eve of the NRL season '25 round one clash in Las Vegas.
"I guess I rep the Sharks in Sydney now," Perry said when meeting Hynes and Iro at the Las Vegas studios of the Morning Mash Up on SiriusXM Hits 1. The radio station is the number one breakfast radio show in the US, which is streamed to a monthly audience of 150 million listeners. The show was broadcasting live in Vegas in partnership with the NRL in Vegas festival.
The meet and greet was made possible through the Sharks' ongoing collaboration with Morning Mash Up Producer Ben Harlum, with Hynes and Iro invited into the studio during an exclusive interview with Perry being conducted by high-profile show hosts Nicole Ryan, Stanley T and Ryan Sampson.
After being introduced and Katy proclaiming "now these are the Sharks I want to see", Hynes and Iro presented Perry with a Sharks jersey signed by the entire Sharks NRL squad.
"They chatted about rugby league and also about the fact that Katy had Shark dancers perform in her recent concert," Sharks CEO Dino Mezzatesta said.
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Katy Perry joins Sharks family after meeting Nicho and Kayal
"Katy said 'I guess I'll see you in Australia' asking them if they would like to come and see her Sydney show and even suggested she could put one of the boys in the 'left shark costume'," referencing the internet sensation dancing Sharks who feature in her on-stage Teenage Dream performance.
The Sharks delegation, which included Hynes, Iro, Chairman Steve Mace, General Manager Marketing, Brand & Digital Melinda Madigan and Football Operations Manager Mark Noakes, left the meeting excited by Katy's declaration that she would now be a fan of the Cronulla Sharks.
"She was kind enough to give us the time and to chat with us about the Sharks," Mezzatesta added. "Katy said she will have to cheer for the Sharks now."
Katy Perry is one of the biggest-selling music artists in history, boasting over 384 million followers on Instagram, Facebook, X (Twitter) and TikTok.
The Morning Mash Up hosts also took the opportunity to chat to Hynes and Iro on the eve of big Las Vegas match up against the Panthers, with the interview to be aired nationally in the US this week.
