New roles for Plumtree and Powell as shake-up hits Shark Tank

John Plumtree will see out the season as head coach of the Sharks before moving into a new position at the Durban franchise, as change rumbles through the Shark Tank.

In another development, current Director of Rugby Neil Powell is to vacate that top position and work elsewhere in the union, possibly with the age-group teams.

A top coaching consultant is expected to join the Sharks’ staff for the remainder of the United Rugby Championship campaign.

The future of head of recruitment Michael Horak is also understood to be in doubt. The Sharks’ erratic recruitment and lack of synergy with their coaches have long been an issue for both past and present management.

A notable fiasco — and one that incensed owner Marco Masotti — was the release of star Junior Springbok Bartho Hlekani to the Lions, a move that will take place at the end of the year. Plumtree reportedly found out about it after the fact and was livid.

The Sharks have endured a poor start to the URC, losing four of their five matches. They finally claimed their first win last week, beating the Scarlets, but the performance was far from convincing.

While there are mitigating circumstances for the Sharks’ stuttering start — notably the absence of 12 Springboks who missed pre-season due to Rugby Championship duty — the American-based owners have been unimpressed and want to send out a message that underperformance will not be tolerated from either the management or coaching groups.

The Sharks are set to issue a statement late on Wednesday following a series of meetings earlier this week. A host of other administrative positions at Kings Park are also understood to be under review.