Sharks fight hard but go down narrowly

Saturday, October 3rd 2009

Sale Sharks lost a bruising encounter 11-8 to the in-form London Irish side, for whom Sailosi Tagicakibau scored his sixth try of the season. Peter Hewat sent over two penalties for the Exiles. Sharks' points came from an Eifion Roberts try and a Nick Macleod penalty.

Irish replacement Peter Richards was sent off with three minutes to go for an elbowing offence on Neil Briggs. Disappointment for the Sharks with the result, but not for the level of commitment. Nick Macleod was Sharks' Man of the Match, with good performances from Seymour, Tuilagi, Sheridan, Cueto, Roberts and Wigglesworth.

Worcester v Sale

Saturday, September 26th 2009

Sale Sharks lost 18-24 to Worcester Warriors at Sixways. Both sides scored two tries, Bell and Mathew Tait for the Sharks, Garvey and Benjamin for the home side. Thomas (pen, drop goal) and Wigglesworth (conversion) added Sharks other points.

Sharks' second half forward pressure merited greater reward, but they had to settle for a 'losing bonus point'. Sharks return to Edgeley Park next Friday evening for a massive game against in form London Irish

Sharks First Loss Of The Season

Friday, September 18th 2009

Sale Sharks produced an unimaginative performance as they fell to their first defeat of the season, 12-25 against Bath, who had lost their two games. Lee Thomas, with four penalties, scored all his side's points but the visitors ran home three tries from Carraro (2) and Banahan. Worryingly, the Sharks have only crossed the whitewash once in 240 minutes.

Bonuses for the home team were success at the lineout, and notable performances from James Gaskell and Mathew Tait.

Worcester Warriors at Sixways is the Sharks' next chance to make amends for this under-par display.

Sunday, September 13th 2009

All square at Kingston Park as the Sharks drew 16-16 with the Falcons. The home side had the better of the first half, with Sharks making up the six point deficit after the break.

For the Sharks, Mark Cueto scored a great try, collecting a Thomas chip ahead, whilst the Welshman added a further eleven points to his fifteen from last week. Vickerman (try), Gopperth (con, 3 pens.) were scorers for the home side.

Sharks had two Premiership debutants: Marika Vakacegu and David Seymour.

Tigers Stunned By Rampant Sharks

Friday, September 4th 2009

Sale Sharks got the new season off to a great start by defeating Guinness Premiership champions Leicester Tigers 15-12 at rain-swept Edgeley Park. Kingsley Jones's men, playing with spirit and no little bravery against their distinguished guests, won the game by five penalties to four, with Lee Thomas and Jeremy Staunton accounting for all the scoring.

Sharks fielded five debutants - Cohen, Forster, Koyamaibole, Schwalger and Kerr, whilst the impressive Gaskell started for the first time.

In the face of all pre-match predictions, it was the Sharks front row which impressed most of all, with Eifion Lewis Roberts named 'Man of the Match'.

For the first time since 2001 Oriol will put on the Spanish jersey. The place is Hannover and the occasion is the European 7s Championship on the 11-12th July.  

Oriol Ripol Launches New Website.

Oriol Ripol, the first Catalan and Spanish rugby union player to ever have played in the Guinness Premiership has launched a new website to communicate with his fans.

Ripol currently plays on the wing for Sale Sharks, and has also represented Spain at several occasions. The aim of the website is to establish Ripol as a brand, improve awareness of his achievements and of his every day activities.

Oriol Ripol, Sale Sharks player commented; "I wanted to let people know about the experiences I have had in the premiership and pass on that knowledge to aspiring rugby players. I am extremely happy to have the opportunity to have such a unique site that I can share with my fans".

The website, designed and built by Text Internet Marketing, showcases Ripol through an image gallery and a video archive which plays highlights of the rugby player in action. A blog function also allows Ripol to interact with his fans by sharing his opinions, in addition to inviting comments and feedback from visitors.

For more information please view the Official Oriol Ripol website or contact Oriol Ripol online.

The Official Sale Sharks 2008.09 Season Awards Dinner will be held in the Insider Suite at Edgeley Park on Thursday 30th April. The club will be celebrating the outstanding on-pitch achievements of the team across the season with eight awards presented on the night including Try of the Season, Academy Player of the Year and Player of the Season.

The night will also be the last official occasion for Sharks' supporters to bid farewell to a number of long-serving players including Jason White, Sebastien Bruno, Lionel Faure and Sebastien Chabal. The club will also officially bid au revoir to former Director of Rugby Philippe Saint Andre for his six years of outstanding service.

For the first time in many years, the club awards dinner will actually take place after the final regular season game of the season (at home against Northampton Saints on 25th April). However, we may just have a Guinness Premiership Semi-Final to look forward to the following weekend (9/10 May). So hopefully there will be plenty of anticipation to go along with the celebrations on the night.

Last season's dinner saw Charlie Hodgson awarded the Player of the Year, whilst Lee Thomas and Will Cliff took home the Players' Player of the Year and Academy Player of the Year respectively. Oriol Ripol's consistent form was recognised as the club's Most Consistent Player, and Rudi Keil's off-pitch support of local schools and rugby clubs was appreciated as he was presented with the Community Player of the Year Award. Everyone enjoyed a good laugh at the expense of Steve Hanley whose 'fearsome play' over his ten year career earned him the Sin Bin Award. Forward Sean Cox beat out internationals Rory Lamont and Luke McAlister to win the Breakthrough Player of the Year. However, Rory did take home the Best Try of the Season award, as voted upon by the attendees on the night, for his end to end score away at Cardiff in the EDF Energy Cup.

Tables of 10 are available at £850 excl. vat and include a table position with an excellent view of the stage and the opportunity to host a Sale Sharks player at your table. The package includes a champagne reception, excellent four course meal, exclusive souvenir event programme, photograph take with your Sharks' player and a great night out celebrating the 2008.09 Season.

Tables can be purchased by ringing Colin McKevitt on 0161 286 8911 or email hospitaliity@salesharks.com.

There will also be a very limited number of places for just £58 per person available exclusively to Sale Sharks season ticket holders until 3PM Friday 20th March. These places will be sold on a first come, first served basis and are expected to sell out very quickly. Season ticket holders are asked to ring 08444 994 994 and select option 4 to book their places at this exclusive price.

We also seeking eight sponsors to sponsor and present the awards on the night. The Awards Sponsors will receive a table of 10 with a Sharks' player of their choice, logo recognition as award sponsor in the programme and on the big screen, listing as event sponsor in all promotional material, and a representative from the sponsor will present the award on stage. These packages cost just £1500 excl. vat and can be purchased by ringing Julie Loynd on 0161 286 8901 or email julie.loynd@salesharks.com.

The awards that are available for sponsorship on the night are as follows:

• Player of the Year - Coaches choice of the top player this season.
• Players' Player of the Year - Player's choice of the top player this season.
• Try of the Season - Coaching staff will nominate 6 tries to be shown throughout the meal and supporters will vote on their favourite try.
• Most Consistent Player of the Year - Coaches choice of the club's most consistent performer throughout the long Premiership, Heineken Cup and EDF Energy Cup season.
• Academy Player of the Year - Coaches choice of the top performing academy player this season.
• Breakthrough Player of the Year - Coaches choice from either signings that are new to the club or academy players that have broken through into the first team to become outstanding performers this season.
• Sin Bin Award - Sponsored by Hogfather Motorcycles
• Community Player of the Year - Chosen by the club's Rugby in the Community programme. Awarded to the player who makes the most outstanding contribution to off-field activities in the local community.

Sale Sharks staged a four-try spectacular in front of an Edgeley Park full house set the tone for the Festive season. They were three tries to the good in the first 24 minutes, thanks to Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe, Mark Cueto (on his 29th birthday) and Charlie Hodgson, with a lone Dave Walder penalty in reply. A second try for skipper Lobbe with six minutes to go sealed a great performance. Hodgson landed all five attempts at goal - four conversions and a penalty. The game signalled the return from injury of Oriol Ripol and Chris Jones: Luke McAlister came off with a shoulder injury, as a precaution, at half time.

BMI The Alexandra Hospital, Cheadle, formally announced their sponsorship of the Guinness Premiership's Sale Sharks RFC, for the 2009 season at an exclusive Christmas celebration event this week at the Sale Sharks home ground, Edgeley Park, in Stockport. Guests at the event heard that consultants from the hospital will be offering on-the-ground support to all team members throughout the rugby season in the event of any injuries sustained during matches or training as well as diagnosis and treatment at BMI The Alexandra Hospital.

Guests were joined by former England rugby winger and record try scorer Rory Underwood MBE, who gave an inspirational speech to the hospital consultants and other attendees to mark the event. Underwood spoke about the importance of teamwork in the sports and medical fields, describing the sponsorship as a great opportunity for both the hospital and Sale Sharks.

Sale Sharks winger, Oriol Ripol, has already experienced the care and dedication of the OrthTeam at BMI The Alexandra Hospital following an injury sustained during a match and commented, "I was thrilled to hear that BMI The Alexandra Hospital were sponsoring the team, having been injured earlier this year. Consultant Mr Len Funk from the OrthTeam at BMI The Alexandra Hospital was able to operate on me within an hour and limit the damage to my arm. It's the kind of dedication and commitment from the hospital that allows us to continue training and competing at the highest level, with the confidence that we have the best medical assistance available to us should we need it."

Michael Stroud, Executive Director of BMI The Alexandra Hospital said, "We hope, in conjunction with our consultants from BMI The Alexandra Hospital, to develop further research on the type of injuries that professional rugby players incur during the course of their careers. This may lead to improvements in training methods and tactics which may help to prevent these injuries occurring during their careers."

The OrthTeam at BMI The Alexandra Hospital consists of eight specialist consultants in two main areas of expertise: upper limb surgeons and lower limb surgeons. Each consultant will be offering the Sale Sharks players unique, expert and speedy care for their sporting injuries.

Sale Sharks Official End of Season Gala Dinner will take place at Edgeley Park tomorrow and for those of you who can't make it, we can now exclusively reveal the nominees for the 8 awards!

Sale Sharks Academy Player of the Season:

Will Cliff

Selorm Kuadey

Michael Hills

Sale Sharks Breakthrough Player of the Season:

Sean Cox

Neil Briggs

Luke McAlister

Rory Lamont

Sale Sharks Most Consistent Player of the Season:

Chris Jones

Oriol Ripol

Thomas

Sebastien Bruno

Sale Sharks Community Player of the Year, sponsored by Waitrose Cheadle Hulme:

Rudi Keil

Sililo Martens

Ben Evans

Dean Schofield

Sale Sharks Sin Bin Player of the Year, sponsored by Manchester Mortgage Planning:

Andrew Sheridan

Brent Cockbain

Sebastien Bruno

Sebastien Chabal

Ben Evans

Sale Sharks Try of the Season, sponsored by Bank of Scotland Corporate:

Ben Foden away at Bristol

Rory Lamont against Leicester Tigers

Rory Lamont away at Cardiff Blues

Oriol Ripol away at Leeds Carnegie

Ben Foden against Saracens

Sebastien Chabal away at Leicester Tigers

This award will be voted by guests in attendance on the night.

Sale Sharks Players' Player of the Season, sponsored by DLA Piper:

Ignacio Fernandez-Lobbe

Lee Thomas

Luke McAlister

Ben Foden

Charlie Hodgson

Dean Schofield

Sale Sharks Player of the Season, sponsored by McAfee::

Charlie Hodgson

Ben Foden

Lee Thomas

Ignacio Fernandez-Lobbe

Sale Sharks Official End of Season Gala Dinner is now a sell-out event with over 400 guests in attendance, including all Sale Sharks players and coaches!

Sale Sharks are delighted to announce that STUART TURNER (1 year) and ORIOL RIPOL (2 years) have signed new contracts with the club.

Stuart joined the club, from Rotherham in 2001 and was a member of both European Challenge Cup winning teams as well as the Guinness Premiership winning side of 2006. Stuart said, "I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at the club and am delighted to sign a new deal."

Oriol signed in 2005 and was also a member of the Guinness Premiership winning side of 2006, a game in which he scored a try. Oriol was top try scorer last season and is currently top of the try scoring chart this season with nine. Oriol said, "I have always been happy at Sale Sharks and am looking forward to helping the club to more success in the future."

Director of Rugby Philippe Saint Andre said, “Both players have always given 100% and I am delighted they have put pen to paper. Both had offers from elsewhere but they have stayed loyal to the club.”

Sale Sharks' Spanish flyer Oriol Ripol was the deadly finisher at the end of a stunning 54th minute move involving Mark Cueto and Rory Lamont which put the home side 17-6 ahead. The bruising encounter ended 20-13 to the Sharks. Earlier, Chris Jones had scored the first try, with Fuga replying for Quins thirteen minutes for the end. This was the Sharks' eleventh successive home victory.

Oriol Ripol won his first Man of the Match award of the season following his brace against Aviron Bayonnais in the European Challenge Cup.

Jim Caldwell, Chairman of Bluemantle Ltd, presented Oriol with his award in front of a packed Insider Suite.

With the Leicester Tigers game now sold out, your next opportunity to attend the Insider Suite will be when the Sharks host Petrarca Rugby in the European Challenge Cup on Friday 11 January 2007.

Please contact Jerome Boissel, Sale Sharks Hospitality Sales Manager, on 0161 286 8911 for details.

Luke McAlister, on his home debut for Sale Sharks against Bayonne in the European Challenge Cup, scored a try in a 32-10 win. Man of the Match Oriol Ripol ran in two spectacular tries and Julien Laharrague the other. Charlie Hodgson added two penalties and three conversions. European action resumes during the weekend of 11/12/13 January when Petrarca Rugby visit Edgeley Park. All eyes now turn to the visit of Leicester Tigers in the Guinness Premiership on Sunday, 23rd December

Sale Sharks stars enjoyed a VIP trip to watch WWE wrestling last week thanks to the management of the WWE.

Andy Titterrell, Magnus Lund, Dean Schofield, Stu Turner, Ben Coutts, Oriel Ripol, Martin Halsall (in his new Hulkamania Tshirt) and Rhys Jones, along with the Sharks Community team and Dean Schofield nephew were all treated to a nights entertainment, including a WWE title fight between John Cena and Kurt Angle.

As a special treat, the boys were taken back stage before the fights to meet some of the WWE stars, and were delighted to find the WWE Divas Victoria, Candice and Maria had been chosen to meet them.

Some stars of WWE were also treated to VIP night at Sale Sharks, and some of the wrestlers are now proud owners of Sharks shirts.

Sale Sharks would like to thank Kevin Allton from WWE for organising the night and backstage trip happen.

THERE MUST BE SOMETHING SPECIAL about the Sharks' number 14 shirt! Regular occupant Mark Cueto was rested for the Anglo-Welsh Powergen Cup game against Leeds Tykes, but his deputy Oriol Ripol scored a hat trick as the Sharks scored seven tries in their 45-10 win.

Sale Sharks started their pre season with an excellent win against Perpignan winning 30-7 before a crowd of almost 6000 in the Stade Aime Giral. Sharks rested all their British and Irish Lions players for the game in Perpignan, although they had travelled with the squad to France for full training for the forthcoming season.

Sharks built up a 13-0 lead early in the game thanks to a MAGNUS LUND TRY,plus two penalties and a conversion by VINCENT COURRANT.

Perpignan hit back though with a converted try and Sale Sharks were at this stage down to 14 men after Oriol Ripol was sin binned for a high tackle.

Half Time Perpignan 7 Sale Sharks 13

Sale Sharks, back to 15 players, scored an early try when former Doncaster Full Back NICK WAKELEY scored with DANIEL LARRRECHEA adding the conversion. LARRECHEA dropped a goal shortly afterwards and Sale Sharks led 23-7.

Sale Sharks went further ahead when lock IGNACIO FERNANDEZ LOBBE scored a try and again DANIEL LARRECHEA converted as the Sharks stretched their lead.

Final Score Perpignan 7 Sale Sharks 30

Defying the wet conditions at Twickenham, Sale Sharks overcame a spirited Leicester Tigers side to win the Guinness Premiership Final 45-20, thus becoming the first side - in four attempts - to be both League leaders and Champions. 'The mould' was truly broken as Jason Robinson's team brought the trophy home to the North West.

Tries from Mark Cueto, Magnus Lund, Oriol Ripol and Chris Mayor saw the Sharks home, if not 'and dry'!

GUINNESS Premiership leaders Sale Sharks today announced that another of their table topping squad has committed his future to the club.

Spanish winger Oriol Ripol, the subject of a bid from Catalan giants Perpignan, has signed a two year contract with Sale.

Commenting on the signing, Director of Rugby Philippe St Andre said; 'Oriol has made a big impact since joining us midway through last season and I am thrilled that I have been able to persuade him to stay with us for another two years. He is a clinical finisher capable of performing at the very highest level who will score plenty of tries for us in the coming seasons.

My task in these past few weeks has been to retain the services of all my players approaching the end of their contracts. We have an excellent squad and a superb team spirit, with genuine competition for places from 1 to 15, and Oriol is the latest to commit himself to us. I believe the squad is one of the strongest I have ever worked with and by keeping it together we can only go from strength to strength.'