Sale Sharks fans will be happy to hear that highly-rated youngster Raphael ‘Raffi’ Quirke has committed his future to the club after putting pen to paper on a fresh new contract.
The 23-year-old scrum-half has been dubbed as “one of the best signings in years” by supporter and now the England international is looking to further repay their faith and support by staying with the Sharks Family for the foreseeable.
Confirmed via the club website on Tuesday, 11 March, Quirke has now signed a two-year contract extension with his boyhood team
“Northern born and bred”, as the club have proudly proclaimed and having once been described by the Daily Telegraph as being “as North West as Coronation Street” Quirke played his junior games at Broughton Park Rugby Club before joining the Sharks Academy at the age of 18.
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After playing rugby since he was five years old and above his age group on many occasions, not to mention having become a North West champion triathlon champion at just 13, he was always bound to be an athlete – Sale fans will just be glad every day that he stuck with this sport and chose dark blue.
Bursting onto the Gallagher Premiership scene in the 2020/21 season, becoming the youngest Sale Shark in his position in league history when he made his debut against Harlequins at the age of 19, he’s proven to be an extremely impressive member of the squad.
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It wasn’t long before the pacey half-back’s talent earned him his first call-up to Eddie Jones’ England squad for the 2021 Autumn Nations Series.
He’s about as quick a nine as you’ll find.
Speaking on the new deal, the Manc sporting star said: “It’s such an exciting time to be a part of this club because I really believe that we’ve got the team and we’re close to winning some big trophies.
“Everyone wants to win trophies but to do it here, at my hometown club, playing with some of my best mates and with my whole family watching every week would be so special. Training and playing with some of my best mates is brilliant.
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“I love coming into Carrington every day because it really feels like home. I’m fully focused on playing as well as I can for Sale but I want to be involved with England too. With so many of our lads in the current squad, I know this is the best place for me to be.”
Put it this way, if you’re getting edits like this made in your honour, it’s fair to say you’ve got a pretty passionate personal following:
Quite the highlight reel already, even at such a young age.
As for Sharks Director of Rugby, Alex Sanderson, he said of Quirke extending his contract: “We wanted Raffi to find form so he could come to the table and get what he deserves for the calibre of player that he is. We feel like he has done that in recent games and he’s shown what a brilliant player he is.
“He’s a gamebreaker, he’s homegrown, he’s devoutly Northern and he’s got the ability and potential to be one of the world’s best in his position. He’s got work to do to get there, but we want to go on that journey with him.
“He’s the latest of many of our young, homegrown lads who have committed to the club because they understand our higher purpose, and they know how special it is to play and train with their best mates.
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“They want Sale Sharks to become the team and the club we know it can be, and for Raffi, that commitment is as much of a plus point as his talent.”
The future’s looking bright for the local rugby union outfit, especially as they look to keep investing in young players and the next generation of international talent.
Man City hoping to snap up promising Liverpool youngster with multiple clubs monitoring
Danny Jones
Manchester City are hoping to secure the signature of a rising Liverpool star who is already looking like one to watch, but they’ll have to wrestle with a number of teams if they want to get their man.
For starters, his parent club don’t want to let him go, but they have until this summer to lock him into a new deal, with suitors ready and waiting in the wings.
The promising youth player in question is Josh Abe, who is just 15 years old but has already made a bit of sporting history on Merseyside and even in Europe.
Having already scored a hatful of goals at various levels, several Premier League outfits are now monitoring his contract situation, with Abe still yet to commit his future to Melwood and possible Liverpool first-team opportunities – and it’s not hard to see why so many want him…
The Warrington-born winger has registered eight goals and a trio of assists for the under-18s this season, including a standout performance against Derby, as well as a hat-trick against Leeds United earlier this month.
Cementing himself in the record books as their youngest ever scorer at that level, he also happened to play a key role in their 3-2 win over Oliver Reiss’ side back in October, grabbing a goal and assisting as they beat City in the division for the first time in half a dozen years.
But he’s impressed beyond just LFC ranks, too.
In addition to becoming the youngest Liverpool product to ever feature in the UEFA Youth League, he has also been called up to England’s U16s.
With early nods of recognition across the board, it’s little surprise that he’s now trained with Arne Slot’s senior squad on more than one occasion.
However, scousers are still waiting to see his full professional debut, as it looks like his employers have a fight on their hands to keep the fast-progressing young forward.
As per The Athletic‘s James Pearce, Man City look to be leading their pursuit for Josh Abe not only as a major rival club and the next nearest destination, but because of the increased wages they could theoretically offer him as an aspiring pro and potential future prospect.
On the other hand, if Liverpool do fail to tie him down, his agency, PLG – headed up by Tyler Alexander-Arnold, the brother of Trent – will be free to negotiate from June 1 onwards if he doesn’t extend his stay – it could be a three-horse race to snap him up.
Apart from City, both Chelsea and Arsenal are said to be interested in recruiting him, and with it being reported that teenaged attacker’s father is a lifelong Gunner, they could pose an added threat to the Blues sealing a transfer.
Then again, we’ve seen Chelsea continue to swallow up talent all over the country for their academy time and time again, plus they’ve been pretty lax when it comes to the salary budget for years now. All that being said, the CFG (City Football Group) could face quite a scrap should Abe decide to leave Liverpool.
Naturally, he’s already been the subject of a ‘future wonderkid’ highlights reel on YouTube; you can see some of his best moments so far down below.
Have you seen clips of him before, and/or are you buying into the hype?
Co-op Live confirmed as the host venue for the 2026 Netball Super League Grand Final
Danny Jones
Manchester’s Co-op Live has booked its latest big event as the 2026 Netball Super League (NSL) Grand Final is set to be held at the massive indoor venue.
As one of the biggest indoor entertainment venues not just in the country but all of Europe, there’ll be room for plenty of UK fans to pile into the stands.
This being not only the NSL‘s debut at the arena but the first final to ever be held in the building, it’s set to be a historic night for lots of reasons.
Announcing the huge coup – not just for the increasingly popular female-led competition, but for sports fans around Greater Manchester in general – this week, the reaction to the big date on the women’s sporting calendar has been just as big.
As mentioned in an official press release, “The selection of Co-op Live for the 2026 Soft & Gentle Grand Final builds on the arena’s rapid emergence as a global destination for sport and entertainment, following a programme of major global broadcasts across music and sport.”
The 23,500-capacity and completely indoor stadium has quickly established itself as a leading destination for live music and more since it finally opened back in May 2024.
Last year’s Super League Grand Final was held down in the capital at The O2 Arena as the fast-rising franchise London Pulse beat Loughborough Lightning 53–45 to lift the title for the first time in history.
Now, the NSL is looking to capitalise on those record-breaking crowds by bringing the action closer to another foundational home for so many competitive disciplines: Greater Manchester.
With England Netball themselves being headquarted at the England Netball is headquartered at the National Squash Centre and Regional Arena on the Etihad Campus (next door to the arena), choosing Co-op Live only felt natural this time.
Elsewhere, another big tournament is being held up in the North, too, with the Netball Super Cup set be hosted at the Utilita Arena over in Yorkshire – much to our mates at The Sheff‘s delight.
Treat a netball fan in your life ❤️
🤝 Help them start #NSL2026 in style and get them tickets to see the Netball Super Cup live.
As for Co-op Live itself, general manager Guy Dunstan commented: “We’re incredibly proud to welcome the Soft & Gentle Grand Final to Co-op Live and to make history by hosting the first sporting final at the arena.
“Co-op Live was designed to bring people together for unforgettable shared experiences, and this reflects everything [we] stand for: world-class events, inclusivity, community impact and inspiring the next generation. We can’t wait to see Manchester play host to such a landmark moment for the sport.”
As always, official Co-op members get early access through the venue’s dedicated presale window, which will open at 10am on Monday, 2 March.
Meanwhile, general admission will then be available from the same time the following Thursday (5 Mar); you can get ready to grab your tickets for the Netball Super League Grand Final in Manchester at Co-op Live right HERE.
Danny Jones -
11th March 2025 
