Community Requests /

The Sharks are committed to assisting charities and community organisations that meet the goals of the Sharks Have Heart Programs.

The Club receives hundreds of requests for donations and/or assistance from many worthy charities and organisations each season. There are also numerous requests made to the Sharks, to have players appear at special functions, local sporting clubs, local schools and charity events, and as a result, the following procedure is in place.

REQUEST PROCEDURE:

Signing of Merchandise-

Our Club does not accept any merchandise sent in for signing including football cards. All items will be returned ( at cost to the addressee) unsigned. We do not take responsibility for any merchandise received that may end up missing or addressed incorrectly. Alternatively, you can join to become a Sharks Football Club Member and receive exclusive invites to Members only fan days and open training sessions, both locally and interstate to obtain signatures. To find out more or join, CLICK HERE. Please keep an eye out on our website for upcoming dates on these events.

Donation Policy-

We are grateful recipients of exceptional support, strength and motivation from countless devoted fans across the Sharks community.

As an elite sporting organisation it is our responsibility and commitment to play an active role within the community.

While the Club endeavors to support where we can, unfortunately we are unable to fulfill every worthwhile request due to the overwhelming volume of requests received. We limit our donation requests to Members, School Ambassadors and Corporate Partners of the Club only. 

Preference-

Preference will be given to the following causes in the following order:

• Shire based Junior or Senior Rugby League Clubs who need assistance in addition to their own fundraising efforts
• Shire based individuals who are involved in Rugby League and have fallen on hard times
• Shire based Schools who are represented by a Teacher Ambassador
• Nominated charities of the Sharks Have Heart programs.
• Not for profit organisations

The following information is to be considered with applications:

• Applications must be made in writing at least 6 weeks prior to event
• Applications must be on organisation letterhead and contain letter of authority
• Schools must by represented by a Sharks Teacher Ambassador
• If you are fundraising via an event, please provide the date and location of the event, plus where the funds raised will be going
• We only donate to an organisation once per year. Only in exceptional circumstances, will we donate to any charities who have already received donations from other NRL Clubs.
• Requests will only be accepted from Sharks Football Club Members or sponsors.

It would be a suggestion that if you are based outside of the Sutherland Shire district, your request should be directed to NRL’s Community department or local NRL Club.

Unfortunately, we do not provide financial support due to our ongoing financial commitment to our current programs.

Businesses, schools, organisations and individuals can help Sharks Have Heart (SHH) to continue delivering their valuable programs and in providing local community support with the establishment of a new fundraising initiative.

With all proceeds going towards Sharks Have Heart initiatives and programs within the key pillars of Inclusivity and Diversity, Social Impact and Have Heart, the fundraisers will offer priority access to players, the club mascot and other ways in which the Sharks can support the event. For more information CLICK HERE

Player Appearance Policy-

All requests must be received at least six weeks prior to the event and most requests will be responded to in writing, whether successful or not.

Due to the high level of corporate commitments, together with our already associated community programs, and the players' strict training schedule, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to accommodate your appearance request.

Our Club will make the final decision in relation to which player, if successful, will attend your appearance. We recommend that your event does not focus purely on the anticipation of a player appearance, instead the player appearance should be approached as an added bonus to your event or program due to the dynamics of the football training schedule.

• We will not enter into any personal appearances, e.g. birthdays, weddings, etc.
• Appearance requests are to be kept to a maximum of one hour.
• No athletic functions with risk of injury will be considered.
• Video messages for birthdays, weddings etc will not be accepted due to the high volume of requests received.
• Sharks player appearances are an endorsement to a community service, or are Sharks partner related. We do not fulfill requests that are not focused around fundraising or supporting a community based NFP organisation. 

If your request meets our guidelines, click here to lodge a formal application.