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.
Luxury Manchester gym and pilates studio mysteriously closes
Daisy Jackson
One of Manchester’s most premium fitness facilities appears to have closed down, leaving members and instructors in the dark.
A forfeiture notice has appeared at the entrance of Blok, a boutique gym and pilates studio in the city centre.
Members have been arriving for classes this week to find the luxury facility at Ducie Street Warehouse closed up.
Native Places, which owns the beautifully restored mill building near Manchester Piccadilly and operates the upper floors as an aparthotel, has confirmed that it’s taken ‘formal possession of the ground floor gym’.
Blok has said they believe that the forfeiture of their lease by landlords is ‘illegal’ and that the team are ‘working to get this resolved as a matter of urgency’.
The gym also stressed the Manchester is a ‘profitable site, which we have collectively worked hard to grow into a thriving, healthy business’.
With three different studios, Blok opened in Manchester in 2019 offering classes ranging from dumbbell-based weight training to barre and pilates, as well as boxing, calisthenics and HIIT workouts.
Last year, the gym introduced reformer pilates to its premium offering.
And just last week, Blok had been running a Crowdcube campaign selling shares in the business in exchange for exclusive investor rewards.
Blok Manchester is inside Ducie Street Warehouse, owned by Native Places
Their investment campaign cited 175% growth in membership over the last 12 months, and promised four new flagship sites forecast to generate £1.5m in profit annually.
Alas, it appears Blok Manchester is now closed. Members have been leaving comments on their Instagram posts asking for updates, and several people are posting TikToks saying they were unable to attend their class.
One person wrote: “Hello I’ve lost my personality as Blok is closed *cry*.”
She added: “You can still book but it’s all locked up, no one can enter the premises … I got one email that they’re having ‘trouble accessing the building’, confused why they’re still allowing people to book??”
Hello I’ve lost my personality as Blok is closed *cry* Good Pilates/Mat/Barre/ reformer studios in Manchester. Also please no say a place that costs the same as my kidney, because that’s not cool 🙂 #BLOK#manchesterpilates#MCR#FYP
A statement from Native Places said: “Native Places has taken formal possession of the ground floor gym following the sustained non-payment of rent by the tenant.
“This action marks the end of a six-year relationship during which Native has consistently supported the tenant in their occupation of the space.
“Unfortunately, due to continued non-payment, we have had no option but to follow the appropriate legal process. The premises have now been secured, and access is restricted.”
In a statement provided to The Manc, Ed Stanbury, CEO and Founder of Blok, said: “The closure of BLOK Manchester is due to the forfeiture of our lease by our landlords, an action that we believe to be illegal. We are working with our lawyers to get this resolved as a matter of urgency.
“Whilst there has been speculation around financial pressures that may have led to this situation, we want to be clear: BLOK Manchester is a profitable site, which we have collectively worked hard to grow into a thriving, healthy business.
“We’re incredibly proud of the team and community we’ve created in Manchester, and our focus right now is on supporting them as we navigate this.”
Patrice Evra issues passionate plea to Manchester United as he must miss the Europa League final
Danny Jones
Ex-Manchester United star Patrice Evra has issued a passionate appeal to his old club ahead of the Europa League final, as he reluctantly prepares to miss the game.
Evra, 44, has remained an avid Man United fan even since he left the club back in 2014 and doesn’t miss a game if he can, often lending his punditry services to the likes of Sky Sports of TNT Sports.
However, despite the biggest game of their season coming up this Wednesday, 20 May, the Frenchman has been forced to skip the match due to a recent bereavement.
Nevertheless, Evra has taken time to issue a rallying cry to Ruben Amorim and his Red Devils, urging them to “be United” and “fight” just like his loved one.
As explained in the short video, the retired left-back’s sister recently passed away at just 56 after a long battle with cancer.
Visibly emotional but determined in the clip, Evra starts by sharing his “positive energy” before trying to inject some defiance.
Noting that his sibling fought for her life for more than two decades, he goes on to add, “That’s what I want from you [United players and fans] tomorrow: just fight — bleed for this shirt, for the fans, the staff, for the people of Manchester.”
Stating that there is “no excuse” for failure and that winning their first European trophy in seven years is their “duty”, he called on the team to channel the commitment and dedication of those travelling from all over the world to see them take on Spurs in Bilbao.
As for the former French international himself, he will be making his return to sport only in an entirely different arena, with a combat sports debut coming very soon.
Wait until you see who he called out… To be fair, I think we’d prefer to watch the Evra fight even more than the Europa League final.
While the comments underneath the post are obviously filled with lots of condolences for his loss, lots of supporters are also taking further faith and motivation from his competitive spirit.
It’s a big game for the club and so many across Greater Manchester; you only have to glance at social media to sense the palpable tension. For instance, if you’re a Red, you don’t want to scroll past the video down below.
Go on then – do you think United are going to do it?
Danny Jones -
11th March 2025 
