Sharks Leagues Club reopening pushed back to late 2025

Sharks chief executive Dino Mezzatesta admitted the continued delays "keeps me awake at night".

In April 2023, Mr Mezzatesta said the best case scenario for reopening was February 2024, and the worst case scenario, August 2024.

'The club has since provided updates as the saga continues.

In an interview this week with with David Boldeman on the ET Stand Podcast, Mr Mezzatesta said, "Every time we get a little bit excited , it gets delayed".

"Unfortunately, the way the construction industry is going today, there are severe problems out there," he said.

"We are working hard with the developer and builder to give us the handover of our club so we can start our fit-out.

"We keep getting promised a date, that date keeps slipping.

"The most recent date we have is the middle of August."

Mr Mezzatesta said the handover would come when all the external works were completed.

"They us our club shell and then we can go and engage a builder and start our fit-out," he said.

"If that does happen, we are looking at an end of 2025 opening,

"From the time we get a builder on board and a site established, it's a good nine to 12 months.

'So, if August is the handover date, you would be looking about August next year."

Mr Mezzatesta said the board was "committed, determined to get there".

"It has been a really tough challenge," he said.

"It's no one's fault in the club today that we cant get a handover.

"It's just the way the deal was structured many many years ago and it would have been structured that way for a reason, but we are dealing with that and trying to manoeuvre through and get the best result."

Mr Mezzatesta said the situation would mean the ground capacity would again be limited for the 2025 football season.

He also revealed the club had acquired a minority ownership stake in the Golden Bay Chinese restaurant in the Bay Central centre.