Sale Sharks secure England veteran Courtney Lawes as he eyes up international return

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Courtney Lawes joining Sale Sharks next season

Sale Sharks have confirmed the signing of rugby union veteran Courtney Lawes as he returns to the Premiership after a two-year hiatus.

Almost just as importantly, Lawes also looks to be eyeing up an England comeback…

Courtney Lawes officially retired from international duty following the 2023 Rugby World Cup and left the Gallagher PREM in ’24, but now the London-born and former Brive flanker is reannouncing himself to the division, becoming Sale’s latest signing ahead of the Sharks’ 2026/27 term.

Penning a one-year contract, the deal is now done, with the ex-British and Irish Lions star set to journey back across the Channel soon, as the start of the next campaign is coming back around quickly.

Lawes left the UK just a couple of years ago to join the side in southern France, and could have accepted a move to Leicester Tigers but turned down the offer; given the obvious rivalry between them and his former stomping ground, Northampton Saints, it was little surprise.

It’s also worth reminding the his last season with the Saints saw him helping them lift their title in a decade, and even he remains a hugely experienced addition to any squad.

Having been monitored by a number of teams, including his old team, he admitted that his wife’s family being from Cheshire did prove to be a decisive factor.

Now 37, there had been many who questioned how he would fare back in this league – guess we’ll find out very soon.

More importantly, the seasoned member of the second row also made it clear his intentions to at least put himself in the conversation for the national team once again.

Writing in an official statement, he said: “I’m officially un-retiring from international duty, and I’d love to play for England again, but first and foremost I want to play well for Sale, and we’ll see what happens after that.” He also recently penned a column for The Times explaining the decision.

He’s made it plain he’d like to be involved next year.

Courtney went on to add: “I’m really excited to be joining Sale. I’ve been out of the Prem now for a couple of years, and I just want to finish my career playing at the top level. I think Sale have got a brilliant squad, so hopefully I can add to that, and we’ll see what we can do next year.

“My body feels good, and I’m still performing at a high level. I feel like I can compete with the best of them, and then some, and I think if I retired now, I’d probably regret it when I was older.

“As a rugby player, you’ve got a very finite career, and you’re a long time retired, so I want to make the most of it while I can, give it everything for another season and then we’ll see what happens…

“There will be quite a few familiar faces at the club. I’ve played with a lot of the England lads, and Dorian West was my first forwards coach as a professional player. I know the club is bringing in some brilliant players for next season too – guys like Joe Marchant and Alex Lozowski will add a lot on and off the field.

What do we reckon then, Sharks fans: is this a signing you’re happy with?

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Featured Images — Fearless Fred/Bob Bob (via Flickr)Sale Sharks (press shot via X)

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