From braais to battles: SharksFest brings festive flavour to Bulls showdown

The Shark Tank is set to swap its usual edge for a full-blown party this Saturday, with SharksFest transforming Kings Park into one of Durban’s biggest summer celebrations as the home side hosts the Bulls in a United Rugby Championship (URC) clash under the lights (6pm kick-off).

With music pumping, braais sizzling and supporters streaming into the stadium precinct hours before kick-off, the Sharks will be eager to reward the festive faithful by backing up last weekend’s Champions Cup win over Saracens with a statement URC performance against their northern rivals.

Coach JP Pietersen admitted after the match that while the result was welcome, their performance still needs polish if the party is to end on a high.

“It wasn’t a perfect performance,” Pietersen said.

"We were under pressure. We lost some scrum penalties, aerial battles, knocked balls on, and we lost lineouts when we needed to score

"What we can work on is winning the aerial battle and, when we score, how to transfer pressure. With the set-piece, when we get into the 22, can we score more tries?

“Looking forward to the Bulls, stopping the maul is going to be one area to work on. I think Saracens scored two maul tries, so that’s going to be a focus for us.”

Off the field, SharksFest remains a firm favourite on the local rugby calendar, drawing thousands of supporters into the Kings Park surrounds for a day that feels more like a festival than a sports fixture. Fans can enjoy fun, food, fireworks and giveaways.

Beer and gin gardens offer the perfect pit stop, while food stalls dish up boerie rolls, burgers, pizza, braai meat and chip twisters — in fact, something for every taste — and even a chance for some last-minute Christmas shopping.

A live performance by top local act Mafikizolo on the outer-field stage promises to keep the good vibes rolling long after the final whistle, giving the evening an electric concert feel that goes well beyond 80 minutes of rugby.

If the Sharks can bring the same fireworks on the field that are promised off it, they could erase some of the season’s early frustrations and send their fans into the festive period with plenty to celebrate.