ActorsRyan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman buy Australian sailing team

RNZ News

a day ago

(L-R) Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman attend the "It Ends With Us" New York Premiere at AMC Lincoln Square Theater on August 06, 2024 in New York City.
Photo:
Cindy Ord / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP
Hollywood co-stars and close friends Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman have been named the new co-owners of Australia's SailGP team.
The actors, who starred together in Deadpool & Wolverine, announced on Thursday, US time, they had purchased the successful team, which has won three championships in just four seasons.
In a joint statement, Reynolds and Jackman said they were "incredibly excited to set sail together in this new adventure".
"Hugh brings a deep love for and pride in his home country as well as being an avid fan of sailing," the statement said.
"He will also be bringing his overly clingy emotional support human along for the ride.
"Apologies in advance to Australia.
"No comment on whether we're writing this in our BONDS. No further questions."
This is the latest sports venture for Reynolds, who purchased Wrexham AFC - one of the world's oldest soccer clubs - alongside fellow Hollywood actor Rob McElhenney.
They chronicled their 2021 purchase and subsequent stewardship of the club in wildly popular Disney+ docuseries, Welcome to Wrexham.
The club has gone on to achieve incredible success, becoming the first team in English football history to achieve three consecutive promotions, climbing from the National League to the Championship.
Reynolds and McElhenney were also among a group of investors in the Alpine Formula One team in 2023 and were part of an investment group that acquired Colombian club La Equidad this year.
Reynolds and Jackman join driver and chief executive Tom Slingsby in rebranding the Australian team as the BONDS Flying Roos, with underwear company BONDS as its title partner.
Slingsby, an Olympic gold medallist, told the ABC that Reynolds became interested in the purchase after members of his team attended several SailGP events.
"They pitched it to Ryan, saying, 'Hey, this is a pretty cool sport - maybe we should come check it out and get involved'," Slingsby said.
"Sure enough, they looked into it a bit more and they were interested in buying our team. So it all went from there."
He said the actors would bring "star power" and a "storytelling ability" to the sport, but would not be drawn on whether a docuseries like Welcome to Wrexham was on the horizon.
The rebranded team is now preparing for its debut at the Mubadala New York Sail Grand Prix, kicking off Saturday, local time.
"There no better way to cap off an amazing week for us than winning the event," Slingsby said.
"I'm a sailor at heart, and that's my main focus - trying to win events for Australia. That's what we've got to try to do this weekend."
- ABC