Sport
Sale Sharks sign experienced Welsh international on a three-year deal
Danny Jones
Sale Sharks have signed highly rated Welsh international Nicky Smith ahead of next season.
His arrival is the latest among a number of key new signings, not to mention some notable outgoings from Alex Sanderson’s setup.
Smith, 31, has signed a three-year deal with the Sharks after rounding out his contract and campaign with Leicester Tigers this year.
A seasoned rugby union prop with more than a dozen years of experience, he spent over a decade with the Ospreys back in Wales before making his first senior appearances in England in 2024, making his debut in March and going on to be named in the league’s team of the season in his inaugural Tigers term.
Coming to the CorpArq stadium with a great amount of experience, strength, and overall physicality, the powerful loosehead will get underway with Sale at the start of the 2026/27 season.
Swansea-born Smith spent his amateur rugby year with his hometown club, Waunarlwydd RFC, before representing Aberavon and eventually going pro with Ospreys by 2012.
He went on to play two centuries of games in the United Rugby Championship (URC) before finally introducing himself to the Gallagher Prem last year, making a total of 31 appearances for the East Midlands side and 10-time title winners.
With that in mind, it’s fair to say he’s proved a good fit for the division as well as for his national team, earning 59 caps for The Dragons.
Though many see his age bracket as the one where rugby players’ careers typically start to wind down, Smith is clearly confident that he has plenty more to give at this level.
Speaking on signing with the Sharks, Nicky said: “I spoke to Alex Sanderson, and I loved how ambitious he was about what the club wants to achieve. It’s really exciting to be joining a team that is so clear about wanting to win things and compete for every trophy.
“As an opposition player, Sale is always a really tough place to go, and as a forward, you know that you need to front up […] Sale have so many quality international players, especially in the front row, so I can’t wait to play and train with those lads because I know that will help my game.”
As for the Director of Rugby himself, ‘Al’ added: “Nicky has been one of the most aggressive, consistent, high-quality scrummagers in the Prem over the past couple of years.
“He’s caused us a lot of trouble when we’ve played Leicester in that period, and we’ve always felt that we’d love to have him here…” You read what else the pair had to say in the full club statement right HERE.
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Featured Images — Stefano Delfrate (via Flickr)
Daisy Jackson -
13th May 2022 
