Now Rugby Men Should Take A Knee Says Yarde

With a new contract signed and sealed, Marland Yarde is looking forward to picking up where he left off at Sale Sharks and potentially staying on at the north’s premier club well into his 30s.

- Jon Newcombe

Speaking exclusively to The Rugby Paper, the 28year-old rubbished claims that he ever contemplated a move away from the Premiership’s second-placed team and insists there was never any prospect of a Jonny May swap deal.

“I’d just like to clarify, at no stage have I ever been in any negotiations with Leicester or Wasps. I don’t know where they got their stories that there was swap deal with Jonny May and me,” he said.

“Over the last six months I’ve been in negotiations about a new contract here and I’ve never entertained a move to another Premiership club away from Sale throughout that time.

“I actually signed the contract way back in March/April. It’s a one-year deal but, essentially, it’s a three-year deal because, in January, I have the ability to trigger a further two years.”

Yarde is confident he can be part of something special at the AJ Bell Stadium.

“I think we have the ability to achieve something great at this club. We’ve made no bones about it, we want to challenge for the title, but only 60 per cent of the games have been completed so we have got a long way to go.