A group of Argentine businessmenincluding Marcos Galperín, founder of Mercado Libre, acquired Miami Sharks rugby franchise. More than 300 people gathered at the Faena Theater, located on Collins Avenue in Miami Beach, including athletes, celebrities, politicians and well-known figures from the business world.
The event featured several figures from the local business ecosystem, such as Nicolás Caputo; Tomás Pierucci, head of JP Morgan’s vertical Tech Disruptors; Gastón Taratuta, CEO of the unicorn Aleph; Martín Umarán, co-founder of Globant; Julia Bearzi, executive director of Endeavor Argentina. In turn, renowned athletes also attended, including Juan Martín del Potro.
“We want to win next year’s championship,” said one of the investors.
Major League Rugby, a professional American rugby league, was founded in 2017 with seven teams, and the following year it played its first tournament. It is currently made up of 12 clubs (11 from the United States and one from Canada) and starting next season Miami will have its first representative with the Miami Sharks.
The businessmen behind the Miami Sharks
Galperin announced the purchase of the franchise in January 2023. His relationship with the world of rugby has been going on for several years, since he played this sport in his youth and was even called up to the Pumitas, however he chose to travel to the United States to study at the Wharton School. Meanwhile, his brother, Miguel, stood out at the Belgrano Athletic Club; and his son, Félix, currently plays for San Andrés.
The founder of Mercado Libre is joined by a group of investors who are also making a name for themselves in the business environment in Argentina. Among them are Alejandro Macfarlane, main shareholder of Camuzzi Gas; Ronaldo Strazzolini, president of the financial services company Magna Capital; and Eduardo Defortuna, president of the real estate agency Fortune International Group.
Total they shelled out $7 million to keep the franchise.
Likewise, the Sharks have already announced some of their main sponsors: BlackToro Global Investments, from the Pescarmona; and Valo, chaired by Juan Nápoli. The bet also has a long-term look because the United States will host the Rugby World Cup in 2031.
Regarding the sports part, the team announced its first contracts. The coach will be José “Cochi” Pellicena, who comes from being in charge of the Argentine rugby team under-20, while the first player to join the squad will be the Argentine Tomás Cubelli, the scrum half who played for the Pumas and will move from France.
Former player Juan Martín Hernández will be the ambassador of the Sharks.
How much will it cost to go see the games?
For the moment, Galperin is looking for a CEO for the Miami Sharks.
On February 15, 2024, the team will debut in the league that today has the San Diego Legion leading the Western Conference and the New England Free Jacks leading the Eastern Conference.
The club has already launched the different packages for rugby lovers to go see the team. Although they have not yet defined which stadium they will be home to, the franchise owners are optimistic that they will probably do so at the DRV PNK Stadium, where Inter Miami, whose president is Englishman David Beckham, plays.
The VIP package costs US$2,500 and includes a premium experience for two people for all eight games of the season. This includes VIP seating with food and drink included, post-match events and official merchandising.
The second option has a value of US$ 1,000 and the pack includes tickets for four people for all the games, four shirts and a snack and a drink per game per person. Lastly, the cheapest package costs US$225 and includes only tickets for one person.
Source: The Chronicler / RIPE
