Sale Sharks participant in 2020–21 Premiership Rugby
2020–present
In the 2020–21 season, the Sharks finished 3rd in the Gallagher Premiership with a points total of 74. A semi-final tie away at Exeter Chiefs resulted in a 40 – 30 loss.
In the Heineken Champions Cup after finishing Pool A 8th with one point, Sale went on to beat Scarlets away 57 – 14 in the round of 16 setting up a last-eight away tie at La Rochelle resulting in a 45 – 21 defeat.
That season saw academy prospects Sam Dugdale, Bevan Rodd, Arron Reed and Raffi Quirke all become first-team regulars.
In December 2020, The former Director of Rugby Steve Diamond left the club due to family matters. He left three matches into the 2020–21 Premiership season with the team having won two of those games. Commenting on his time with Sale, Diamond said: “I built with Simon (Orange) and Ged (Mason) a fantastic management team, a great club, really solid foundations and I thought if there was a time for me to step aside and let the other people come through that was the best time."In January 2021, Sale confirmed that Saracens forward coach Alex Sanderson took over the role of Director of Rugby at the club.
The 41-year-old started his senior playing career at Sale Sharks in 1998, after playing junior rugby at local club Littleborough. He went on to make 90 appearances for the club, with his leadership qualities earning him the club captaincy. Alex was quoted saying "I'm joining a club I know all about from my time here, but things have moved on massively since those days and the opportunity to come back home and achieve something special was just too good to turn down,".Sale struggled in the first half of the 2021/22 season, which was Sanderson's first full season in charge. Results picked up in the new year but Sale narrowly missed out on the top 4 by 5 points, having to settle for a 6th place finish. For the second season in a row they were defeated by French opposition in the Champions Cup quarter final losing 41-22 to Racing Metro despite leading 10-6 at halftime. The season ended with farewells to the iconic Faf De Klerk, fellow South Africans Lood de Jager and Rohan Janse Van Rensburg and several other influential players including AJ Macginty, Cameron Neild and Curtis Langdon.
Ahead of the 2022/23 season the signings of Tom O'Flaherty and England internationals George Ford and Jonny Hill were announced. All three had won the Premiership with their respective former clubs. The season started with five consecutive league wins and the good form continued with Sale in 2nd position at the halfway point.
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