Manc rugby union player and fan favourite George Ford has extended his stay at Sale, putting pen to paper on a new and improved contract in what is a key deal for the Sharks.
The England international and Sale Sharks fly-half is one of the Greater Manchester side’s key senior figures and has remained a popular pick among supporters ever since he arrived.
With that in mind, besides tying down the Curry twins to long-term deals back in April, securing a new contract for their crucial kicker is probably one of the most important bits of business the Eccles-based team have done in some time.
Confirming the fresh terms on Wednesday, 15 October, George Ford has now agreed a new three-year deal to stay at Sale as the Sharks boast three wins in their last four games.
Extending his stay at the club until at least 2029, the announcement has obviously gone down a treat with the fan base; reactions have ranged from simple responses of “Fantastic news!” and fire emojis to nothing more than “phew…”, with many worried that the talented 32-year-old might be moving on.
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The Oldham-born athlete, who has already earned 102 England caps, became theSharks’ 358th professional player just a few short years ago.
After shining at Leicester Tigers and Bath Rugby, before going on to become a fully-fledged first-team Red Roses star, Ford returned to the North to sign for Sale ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, with the Sharks going on to finish as runners-up against Saracens.
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Despite struggling with an Achilles injury, he recovered in good time and came back strong to help his teammates on their way to a Gallagher Premiership final in his first season with the Sharks.
Since then, he’s scored some crucial penalty kicks and drop goals, racking up a total of 341 points as he closes in on half a century of appearances.
Speaking on signing the new deal, the local lad said: “It’s brilliant to have the contract agreed. I’ve really enjoyed my time here, and I’ve loved representing the North. The importance of that isn’t lost on me.
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Credit: Charlie (via Flickr)Kafuffle via WikiCommonsHe’s come a long way since his days with the Tigers and Bath, but his kicks have only gotten better.
“I drive from Saddleworth to Carrington [Lane Training Ground] every day, and I can see the city in the distance, and it makes me incredibly proud”, says Ford. “I’m proud to represent the region and the people up here, and I want to inspire the next generation.
“You see so many kids up here who are passionate about playing rugby, and I want us to be a team that inspires those kids to want to do what we’re lucky enough to do.”
You can also hear what Director of Rugby, Alex Sanderson, had to say on George Ford signing his new three-year deal down below.
As he continues in a full statement shared via the club website, “With the players and the coaches that we have here, I feel like I can still improve and be challenged as a player. I feel the best place for me to do that is right here.
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“As a team, we want to take the next step, and I’m more determined than ever to help us do that. The ambition from the club is obvious, and I know we’re going to achieve great things in the future, but we’re at our best when we focus on the next game.
“I want to keep playing well for Sale Sharks, and I want to keep influencing the team as much as I can. That comes first. I love playing for my country, but I know that I only get that opportunity if I’m playing consistently well for Sale. So that’s my focus.”
He also reiterated that, besides enjoying his rugby, being back home has also helped support his family, with his wife running multiple restaurants alongside being a full-time mum, adding: “To be around to help and support her in any way I can is so important to me. That’s played a big part in us being so settled and happy here.”
A local Manchester run club is holding two special running routes to see the total eclipse
Danny Jones
With the highly anticipated total eclipse fast approaching, people not just here in Greater Manchester but all over the UK, Europe and the rest of the world are gearing up to try and watch it – but this native running club are doing it a bit differently.
Eclipses occur once every 12-18 months, but this is set to be the biggest since 1999.
The moon is set to cover approximately 96-98% of the sun this coming Wednesday, 12 August, 2026, and rather than try to watch it from a window at home or drive to somewhere with supposedly ‘the best view’, local sports club Manchester Road Runners are turning it into their latest one-off event.
Sharing details online, the free-to-join local organisation, which boasts thousands of members on Facebook and various other platforms, will be timing things to make sure they catch the phenomenon.
Writing in the accompanying caption, the Road Runners say: “We’ve pulled some strings and have a very special event taking place on August 12th, a solar eclipse! Come run with us under a darkened sun next Wednesday from The Wharf at 18:30, with peak moon coverage expected at around 19:10.”
Better still, they’re also teaming up with their trail running spin-off club for an even more scenic twist on the evening excursion.
“If you prefer to experience your solar phenomena under the wide open skies”, they go on to write, “our friends over at Trail Division will be holding a hike/run off road, meet at Piccadilly Station at 18:00 to get shady in the great outdoors.”
Fortunately, they have issued an important disclaimer, going on to remind runners that “while beautiful and majestic, the sun should NEVER be directly looked at in the face unprotected”, signing off by adding, “Respect the sun, respect your peepers, stay ocularly safe out there.”
If you’ve never come across MRR before, they’re probably the biggest run club in the entire Greater Manchester region and their social-first jogs, intervals, track sessions and more revolve around meeting back up with your mates for a wholesome pint and a chat.
For many, it’s the biggest and the best in the city.
As for the eclipse run, it’s set to be a very magical variation on their usual Wednesday evening meets.
Quite rightly, they also point out in the post that you can actually buy certain glasses to view eclipses on these rare occasions, with search traffic often ramping up in and around these events.
Meanwhile, the Trail Division branch is yet to confirm the route for their run/hike, but it will most likely remain in the nearby North West vicinity; keep your eyes peeled on their social media pages (linked above) for more information and other upcoming trail events.
Speaking of trail runs, there’s a pretty beautiful albeit challenging one coming up next month…
Stunning vistas, walkers welcome, and multiple distances available.🏃♂️🥾
And the best part? It's less than 90 minutes away from Manchester. 🏞️
Rodri makes ‘preference’ clear as Barcelona and Real Madrid push to sign Man City star
Danny Jones
Ballon d’Or winner and Manchester City star Rodri has reportedly made his ‘preference’ clear as both Real Madrid and FC Barcelona have ramped up efforts to sign him this summer.
The European and now World Champion is well and truly within ‘completing football’ territory at this point, but now looks set for a return to his home country to conquer La Liga.
Well, sort of, as according to Forbes and other outlets, the world-class central defensive midfielder looks to have ‘chosen’ Barcelona over Madrid, with the deal now progressing beyond just player talks.
However, as the BBC and various other sources have now reported, City have already rejected an initial bid of approximately £38.5 million and will keep holding out for a larger fee for one of, if not their most important player.
Sharing an even more recent update, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has stated that, as well as the decision having now been made over the Spanish giants and “personal terms agreed”, the Rodri move has now entered the “key stages” with direct negotiations between the two clubs.
Initial contract talks are said to have already taken place, and with the Spaniard having come through the Atlético Madrid youth ranks before returning there as a senior player prior to his big-money move to Manchester, a switch to the other side of the city and ‘Los Blancos’ was always going to be a tall task.
As per Romano, Barca are extremely keen on securing Rodri, but as always, price will be the sticking point. Although the Blues have made it very clear that they want more if he is to leave, the Catalan club are confident they’ll be able to close the deal before the end of the transfer window.
It’s rumoured that the asking price is somewhere closer to £60m, although who knows what the final number would be when factoring in add-ons and other bonuses, etc.
Meanwhile, City are obviously hoping to keep hold of their Euro 2024 and 2026 World Cup winner if they can; they’re said to be trying their best to keep him at the table and tie him down to a new and even more lucrative contract.
On the other hand, they have brought in an already extremely highly rated player in Elliot Anderson, who looks set to be their crucial cog in the middle of the park for a long time to come at just 23 years old.
Do you think it’s the right fit, if he has indeed ‘picked’ the Blaugrana?
All that being said, it’s hard for any player to look the other way when an offer comes in from two of the biggest clubs in the world, let alone Spain – especially when the player is from there and has won everything there is to win in their current league.
Rodri only turned 30 back in June, and despite having numerous injury problems over the past couple of seasons, there is still an evident faith that new MCFC boss Enzo Maresca can build a fresh squad around him in the pivot.
What do you think, Cityzens: is now the right time to try and get a good price for him, or should he stick around at the Etihad for the remainder of his already glittering career?
Elsewhere in transfer news, both big Manc clubs and a number of other suitors across Europe are supposedly interested in signing a young striker currently playing in Ireland…
Danny Jones -
15th October 2025 
