Sale Sharks facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Sale Sharks

Full name	Sale Sharks Rugby Union Football Club
Union	Cheshire RFU
Founded	1861; 164 years ago (1861) (as "Sale Football Club") 1999; 26 years ago (1999) (as "Sale Sharks")
Location	Barton-upon-Irwell, Salford, England
Ground(s)	Salford Community Stadium (Capacity: 12,000)
Chairman	Fran Cotton
CEO	Paul Smith
Director of Rugby	Alex Sanderson
Coach(es)	Paul Deacon
Captain(s)	Ben Curry
Most appearances	Sam James (244)
Top scorer	Charlie Hodgson (1,872)
Most tries	Mark Cueto (90)
League(s)	Premiership Rugby
2023–24	3rd
1st kit 2nd kit
Official website

The Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union team from Greater Manchester, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, which is England's top rugby division. The team has been in this top league since 1995.

The club started in 1861 as Sale Football Club. This makes it one of the oldest football clubs still around today. The team got its "Sharks" nickname in 1999.

Since 2012, Sale Sharks have played their home games at the Salford Community Stadium. This stadium is in Barton-upon-Irwell, Salford. Before that, they played at Heywood Road in Sale from 1905 to 2003. Then they moved to Edgeley Park in Stockport until 2012. Sale Sharks have always been one of the best teams in the north of England. Their team colours are blue and white.

Sale Sharks have won the Premiership title once, in the 2005–06 season. They were also runners-up in 2001-02 and 2022-23. They won the Premiership Rugby Cup in 2019-20. They also won the second division in 1994. In international games, they won the European Rugby Challenge Cup twice. These wins were in 2001–02 and 2004–05.

In the 2022–23 Premiership Rugby season, Sale finished second. They lost in the play-off final to Saracens F.C.. This good result meant they could play in the top-tier 2023–24 European Rugby Champions Cup. The team's Director of Rugby is Alex Sanderson. He took on this role in January 2021.

Club History

Early Years (1861–1990s)

The Sale Sharks club started in 1861. It is one of the oldest rugby clubs in England. For many years, it was a top rugby union club in the north of England. The team moved to Heywood Road in 1905 and played there until 2003.

In 1911, Sale had an amazing season. They played 26 matches and did not lose any. They won 24 games and drew two.

Many Sale players have played for their national teams. G.A.M. Isherwood was the first Sale player to play in an international Test match. He played for the British team in South Africa in 1910. In the 1930s, Sale had a very strong team. Players like Hal Sever (England), Claude Davey (Wales), Wilf Wooller (Wales), and Ken Fyfe (Scotland) played for them. They won the Middlesex Sevens tournament in 1936.

Sale was very successful in county cup rugby. They won every cup game from 1972 to 1987. This was for 15 seasons in a row.

Becoming a Professional Team

In the 1990s, rugby became professional. This meant clubs needed more money to run. Sale faced some challenges during this time.

In 1997, Sale Sharks played in the Pilkington Cup Final at Twickenham. About 20,000 fans came to support them. However, they lost the match 9–3 to Leicester. The club's financial problems were solved when local businessman Brian Kennedy helped out in 1999. This made the club financially stable.

In 2002, Sale Sharks won the European Challenge Cup. They beat Pontypridd 25–22 in the final.

In 2004, Jim Mallinder left Sale. The club then hired Philippe Saint-André, a former French international player. With new players like Sébastien Bruno and Sébastien Chabal, Sale won the European Challenge Cup again in 2005. They beat Pau 27–3. This was their second win in three years.

Champions in 2005–06

For the 2005–06 season, new players joined the team. These included Lionel Faure, Elvis Seveali'i, and Nathan Bonner-Evans. Sale had a great season. They won 16 out of 22 games and finished first in the league. In the semi-final, they beat London Wasps 22–12. They then won the 2006 Premiership title. They beat Leicester Tigers 45–20 in the final.

Challenges and Changes (2006–2013)

After winning the Premiership, Sale hoped for more success. But many players got injured in the 2006–07 season. This made it hard for the team to play well.

In 2007–08, it was a World Cup year. This meant some of Sale's top players were away with their national teams. Sale signed good players like Luke McAlister from New Zealand. The season had its ups and downs. Sale beat Leicester Tigers both at home and away for the first time. But they did not reach the semi-finals or win a trophy.

In 2008, Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe became the new captain. Sale set a new Premiership record. They played four games in a row without letting the other team score a try. This was at the start of the season. Sale was knocked out of the European Cup in the group stages.

Philippe Saint-André left his role as Director of Rugby at the end of the 2008–09 season. Some key players also left the club.

Sale Sharks and Oyonnax playing in 2013.

The 2009–10 season was tough for Sale. They finished 11th in the league. They only avoided being moved down to a lower division on the second-to-last weekend. Their European campaign also ended early.

In December 2010, Mike Brewer was replaced as head coach by Pete Anglesea. Anglesea led Sale to a 10th-place finish.

In 2011–12, former player Steve Diamond became chairman. He made many changes to the team. Sale started the season well. But their form dropped later on. They still finished sixth in the Premiership. This meant they qualified for the Heineken Cup in the 2012–13 season.

In 2012, Sale moved to the new Salford City Stadium. This stadium is now called the Salford Community Stadium. They share it with the Salford Red Devils rugby league team. The 2012–13 season was difficult. Sale spent most of the season near the bottom of the league. They finished 10th. Their first win of the season was against Cardiff Blues in the Heineken Cup. They lost in the final of the LV Cup to Harlequins.

Steve Diamond Era (2012–2020)

The 2013–14 season was much better. Sale finished sixth in the league. They just missed out on the play-offs. But they did qualify for the new European Rugby Champions Cup. They also reached the quarter-finals of the European Challenge Cup. Six Sale players were called up to the England national team.

In the 2014–15 season, the Sharks finished seventh in the Premiership. Young players like Mike Haley and Josh Beaumont became regular first-team players. Josh was even called up for the England squad.

From 2015–16 to 2019–20, Sale usually finished in the middle of the league table. Their best finish was fifth, and their lowest was tenth.

In June 2016, a new group led by Simon Orange took over the club.

2019/20 Season Highlights:

• New players included South Africans Rob du Preez, Jean-Luc du Preez, Dan du Preez, Lood de Jager, Akker van der Merwe, and Coenie Oosthuizen.
• The team finished 5th in the Premiership.
• Chris Ashton and Rob Webber were among the players who left.

In December 2020, Steve Diamond left the club. He had been with Sale for a long time. He said he left because he felt the club was in a strong position.

Alex Sanderson Era (2021–Present)

In January 2021, Sale announced that Alex Sanderson would be the new Director of Rugby. Alex used to play for Sale Sharks from 1998. He played 90 games for the club and was even captain. He said he was excited to come back home and achieve great things. Sanderson signed a new contract in 2024 to stay until the 2026/27 season.

In the 2020–21 season, the Sharks finished 3rd in the Premiership. They lost in the semi-final to Exeter Chiefs. In the Heineken Champions Cup, they reached the quarter-finals. Young players like Sam Dugdale, Bevan Rodd, Arron Reed, and Raffi Quirke became regular first-team players.

2021/22 Season Highlights:

• New players included Nick Schonert, and former players Tommy Taylor and Simon McIntyre returned.
• The team struggled at the start of the season. But they played better later and finished 6th.
• They lost in the Champions Cup quarter-final to Racing Metro.
• Key players like Faf De Klerk, Lood de Jager, and AJ MacGinty left the club.

2022/23 Season Highlights:

• New players included George Ford, Jonny Hill, and Tom O'Flaherty.
• The season started very well with five league wins in a row. Sale stayed in 2nd place for the rest of the season.
• They beat Leicester in their first home play-off semi-final since 2006.
• In the final, Sale was leading against Saracens. But Saracens scored two late tries and won 35–25.
• Players like Will Cliff, Jono Ross, and Akker van der Merwe left the club.

2023/24 Season Highlights:

• New players included Luke Cowan-Dickie, Agustín Creevy, Ernst van Rhyn, and Sam Bedlow.
• Sale was at the top of the league after the first third of the season.
• They had to win all their remaining matches after the Six Nations break to stay in play-off contention.
• Sale beat Saracens 20–10 on the last day to finish third.
• They then lost to Bath 31–23 in the play-offs.
• Notable players who left were Sam James, Manu Tuilagi, Agustin Creevy, and Cobus Wiese.

Team Kits

Current Kit Details

Since the 2021–22 season, the team's kit has been made by Macron. This Italian company makes all the match day, training, and casual clothes for the men's, women's, and academy teams. Macron also became the club's official shop partner.

Season Highlights

• After dropping into the competition from the European Rugby Champions Cup

Gold background means champions
Silver background means runners-up
Pink background means relegated

Club Achievements

Sale Sharks Trophies

• Premiership Rugby
  • Champions (1): 2005–06
• RFU Championship (Second Division)
  • Champions (1): 1993–94
• European Challenge Cup
  • Champions (2): 2001–02, 2004–05
• Premiership Rugby Cup
  • Champions (1): 2019–20
• Cheshire RFU Cup (local cup)
  • Champions (17): 1969–70, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1996–97

Sale Jets (Reserves) Trophies

• Cheshire RFU Cup
  • Champions (2): 2009–10, 2010–11 (shared)

Sevens Rugby Trophies

• Middlesex Sevens
  • Champions (1): 1936
• Glengarth Sevens Main Event
  • Champions (1): 1977
• Glengarth Sevens Davenport Plate
  • Champions (2): 1968, 1985
• Melrose Sevens
  • Champions (1): 2003
• Glasgow City Sevens
  • Champions (2): 2007, 2009

Current Team Squad

Here is the Sale Sharks squad for the 2024–25 season:

Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.

Player Position Union Luke Cowan-Dickie Hooker England Ethan Caine Hooker England Tadgh McElroy Hooker Ireland Tommy Taylor Hooker England Patreece Bell Prop England James Harper Prop England Ross Harrison Prop England Simon McIntyre Prop England Tumy Onasaya Prop England Asher Opoku-Fordjour Prop England Bevan Rodd Prop England Nick Schonert Prop South Africa Hyron Andrews Lock South Africa Ben Bamber Lock England Roubs Birch Lock England Alex Groves Lock South Africa Jonny Hill Lock England Le Roux Roets Lock South Africa Ernst van Rhyn Lock South Africa Josh Beaumont Back row England Ben Curry Back row England Tom Curry Back row England Huw Davies Back row Wales Sam Dugdale Back row England Yande Nkonge Back row England Dan du Preez Back row South Africa Jean-Luc du Preez Back row South Africa Will Riley Back row England

Player Position Union Raffi Quirke Scrum-half England Nye Thomas Scrum-half England Gus Warr Scrum-half Scotland Will Wooton Scrum-half England George Ford Fly-half England Robert du Preez Fly-half South Africa Charlie Wardle Fly-half England Joe Bedlow Centre England Sam Bedlow Centre England Tom Curtis Centre England Rekeiti Ma'asi-White Centre England Waisea Nayacalevu Centre Fiji Obi Ene Wing England Tom O'Flaherty Wing England Arron Reed Wing Scotland Tom Roebuck Wing England Alex Wills Wing England Will Addison Fullback Ireland Joe Carpenter Fullback England Luke James Fullback England

Academy Squad

Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under WR eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-WR nationality.

Player Position Union Wills Austin Hooker Wales Alfie Longstaff Hooker England Harry Thompson Hooker England Jack Lightbrown Prop England Ralph McEachran Prop England Tye Raymont Prop England Tom Burrow Lock England Ells Causey Lock England Frank Chatterton Back row England Jos Gilmore Back row England Seb Kelly Back row England Tristan Woodman Back row England

Player Position Union Dom Hanson Scrum-half England Ollie Davies Fly-half England Ben Motamed Centre England Aaron Pope Centre England Osian Roberts Centre Wales Tobi Wilson Wing England

Famous Former Players

Lions Tourists

These Sale players were chosen for the Lions tours while playing for the club:

• G.A.M. Isherwood (1910 Tour to South Africa)
• William Michael Patterson (1959)
• Peter Stagg (1968)
• Fran Cotton (1977 & 1980)
• Steve Smith (1980 & 1983)
• Jason Robinson (2001 & 2005)
• Andy Titterrell (2005)
• Charlie Hodgson (2005)
• Mark Cueto (2005)
• Jason White (2005)
• Andrew Sheridan (2005 & 2009)
• Tom Curry (2021)

Rugby World Cup Players

The following players played for their countries at the Rugby World Cup while playing for Sale Sharks:

Tournament	Players selected	England players	Other national team players
1999	1	Phil Greening
2003	2	Jason Robinson	Bryan Redpath (c)
2007	10	Andrew Sheridan, Mark Cueto	Elvis Seveali'i , Scott Lawson, Rory Lamont, Jason White (c) , Ignacio Fernández Lobbe, Juan Martín Fernández Lobbe , Sébastien Bruno, Sébastien Chabal
2011	9	Mark Cueto	Alasdair Dickinson, Richie Vernon , Tony Buckley , Andrei Ostrikov , Wame Lewaravu , Tasesa Lavea, Johnny Leota , Andy Powell
2015	4		TJ Ioane, Johnny Leota , Shalva Mamukashvili , Phil Mackenzie
2019	5	Tom Curry, Mark Wilson	Valery Morozov , Faf de Klerk , AJ MacGinty
2023	5	Tom Curry, George Ford, Bevan Rodd, Manu Tuilagi	Augustin Creevy

Club Sponsors

Sale Sharks has had many important sponsors over the years. These companies help the club with money and support.

In 1999, Sale Sharks signed a deal with UKFast. This was a big deal worth over £2 million. At the same time, the club changed its name from Sale to Sale Sharks. Lawrence Jones, the head of UKFast, is a big fan of the club.

In 2003, the computer security company McAfee became a sponsor. Their logo first appeared on the team's shirt collars. In 2006, McAfee extended their sponsorship deal for three more years.

UKFast became the main sponsor again in March 2009. This ended McAfee's four-year partnership. UKFast had been connected with the Sharks since 1999. But this was the first time they were the main sponsor. Lawrence Jones decided to end the deal in April 2011. This was partly for business reasons. It was also because of changes at the club, like Charlie Hodgson leaving.

In July 2011, the club announced that MBNA, a credit card company, would be their main partner. Their logo was on the front of all three of Sale Sharks' shirts. This partnership was extended in September 2013 until the 2015–16 season.

After a five-year break, UKFast became club sponsors again in July 2016. This was the biggest sponsorship deal in the club's history at the time. Lawrence Jones said this partnership was more than just a logo on a shirt. He said the club was very important to him.

In October 2020, VST Enterprises, a cyber technology company, launched a special interactive kit for the club. The men's team wore a "maze" style logo called a VCode on their shirts. Fans could scan this VCode with their smartphones. This gave them access to special content.

On September 1, 2021, Sale Sharks started a new partnership with AO. This online electricals store became the club's main shirt sponsor. AO also worked with the Sharks Community Trust. This is the club's charity. They created a mental health program called "Are you AO-K?" for schools. The South Stand at the stadium was also renamed the AO Stand.

In August 2024, Carrier Solutions UK became the main partner. Their Toshiba brand is now the front-of-shirt sponsor for four years.

Team Records

Club Records

• Biggest Win: 76 – 0 against Bristol (in 1997–98)
• Biggest Loss: 58 – 5 against London Wasps (in 1999–2000)
• Best League Position: 1st (in 2005–06)
• Worst League Position: 9th (in 1989–90)

Player Records

• Most Premiership Games: Mark Cueto – 219 games
• Top Premiership Try Scorer: Mark Cueto – 90 tries
• Top Premiership Points Scorer: Charlie Hodgson – 1,872 points

See also

In Spanish: Sale Sharks para niños