Sheffield Sharks give update on their new arena

Sharks currently play at Ponds Forge International Centre after a period of playing at the English Institute of Sport in Attercliffe.

An arena to call their own is part of the grander plans at Sheffield Olympic Legacy Park, with the site also to be used as world-class diagnostic imaging lab and research centre. Matischen had hoped work would have begun by now but circumstances out of the club’s control have forced costs to spiral.

“We have done a huge amount of work behind the scenes on the arena happening,” Matischen, whose side welcome Newcastle Eagles in the BBL, reassured fans.

“What we have been slowed down by is assessing the impact of increasing costs on the supply chain due to the pandemic, Brexit and now the war.

“Each of those has an impact and we have to understand what affect that has on us before we put a spade in the ground.

“Costs are going up and we’ve had to recalibrate and say how do we absorb those costs?

“The impact of global events is impacting construction costs massively. Most of the alluminium comes out of Russia. A lot of wood comes out Russian and Ukranian forests.

“Once you start, there’s no going back. But we remain positive. These things takes time and we can’t get it wrong. I’m not panicking, we’ll get it built.”