The Cronulla Sharks have announced plans to take over the running of Sporties @ Kareela Golf, with the venue to act as the club's home while Sharks Leagues Club is redeveloped.
Sharks CEO Richard Munro announced the plans at a meeting with members on Tuesday night.
The Sharks confirmed in July the club would proceed with the major redevelopment of their leagues club with plans to build a "world class entertainment venue" on the existing leagues club site which will require extensive building works.
The club have elected to close the leagues club for 18 months from January. The redevelopment will see the Sharks forced to move their home games from PointsBet Stadium, Woolooware to Kogarah's Netstrata Jubilee Stadium for the 2020 and 2021 NRL seasons.
Cronulla announced last month they will play 11 of their 12 home games at Kogarah in 2020 - with St George Illawarra forced to use the away dressing sheds when the clubs meet - with the Sharks to take their final home game to Queensland's Sunshine Coast in an attempt to broaden their supporter base.
In a letter to the club's members and fans on Wednesday, Munro confirmed Kareela Golf Club would become the venue for supporters to base themselves while the leagues club is not operational.
The club would drop the Sporties branding, with Sharks @ Kareela Golf one potential name for the venue.
The plan is subject to a vote from Sharks, Sporties and Kareela Golf Club members. But if the amalgamation goes ahead early next year, the Sharks would take over running of the club itself as well as the golf club, making it a home for members and fans before reverting to the leagues club as their home upon its completion in 2022.
The Sharks would continue to run the Kareela venue.
"We have been seeking expressions of interest from other clubs in the area to provide reciprocal arrangements for [our members and fans] while our club is closed," Munro said.
"During those discussions it became clear that the Sporties Group, which currently operates Kareela Golf Club, may be interested in entering an agreement for the Sharks [to] amalgamate with the club.
"This is a fantastic development and it means we will continue to have a home base where we can celebrate our team's wins in 2020 and 2021. It also means we will have an asset which provides a revenue stream while our club is closed.
"Kareela Golf Club is only 10km away from Netstrata Jubilee Stadium at Kogarah where we will be playing our home games for the next two seasons. Make no mistake, if this proposal goes ahead we will turn Kareela into a genuine home club for Sharks supporters.
"We have come a long way in the last couple of months. We were facing two years without a home ground or club. Now we have both.
"We are going to have one of the best leagues clubs in the NRL. And we will have another asset at Kareela. A golf club which is currently cash flow positive to make our club even stronger. We are determined to secure the financial future of the Sharks and this proposal is the next step in achieving that goal."
The agreement would also give Sharks members and fans the chance to take up golf memberships and use the Kareela venue's other facilities.
