Sharks' leadership tenders apology

The KwaZulu-Natal side ended an inconsistent campaign with a 34-all draw against the Free State Cheetahs, to miss out on the semi-finals by finishing fifth – just two points off the fourth-placed Cheetahs.

"As Sharks fans, we have become accustomed to reaching the Currie Cup semi-finals year in, year out and it's obviously disappointing we have not done so this season. However, we move on.

"Our planning for the 2016 season is well advanced. We have a young team in transition, further signings are planned and we will compete strongly next year.

"To all our supporters, thank you for your continued faithful support. The players and coaches are completely committed to making you proud again and filling us all with the joy that only this team can give us," Smit said.

Gold stated that he would leave "no stone unturned" to come back fighting in 2016.

"Going into the 2015 season we were optimistic about our chances, however, our performances were well below par and our results were just not good enough.

"I am passionate about the Sharks brand, the rich history associated with the brand, but most importantly I am passionate about this group of players who I have immense belief in. It hurts us that we have disappointed you, we will leave no stone unturned in our preparation to come back fighting in 2016," Gold stated.

Captain Wentzel could not apologise more for his side's poor performances and has asked for the fans to keep their belief in the team.

"It has been a disappointing 2015 season.  We are sorry we have let our loyal fans down. Our supporters are the heartbeat of our team and we play for you. Sometimes our performances don't always go according to plan and does not reflect the pride we have in wearing the black and white jersey.

"2016 is a new year and we are determined to work extremely hard to make you proud once again. We believe in ourselves as a team and we appeal to our fans to keep believing in us," Wentzel said.

@TheSharksZA