'Right club, right city, right time': Ernst van Rhyn explains contract decision

Versatile loose forward Ernst van Rhyn has committed his long-term future to Sale Sharks by signing a three-year contract extension.

The 27-year-old fans’ favourite, who can play in the second row or back row, had one year left on the deal signed when he joined from the Stormers, but he has now extended his stay until June 2029.

Van Rhyn arrived in Manchester from Cape Town ahead of the 2023/24 season and made his Sharks debut against Leicester Tigers in the Premiership Rugby Cup.

He has gone on to make 47 appearances for the club, including 24 during the 2024/25 season, when he started all 18 Gallagher Premiership fixtures.

Since arriving in England, van Rhyn has earned a reputation as one of the Gallagher Premiership’s top tacklers and last season, he topped the league’s dominant tackle count.

“My wife Bianca and I have been really happy ever since we arrived in Manchester. At the time, it felt like the right club and the right city at the right time, and we still feel the same way,” said van Rhyn.

“We’re happy with the position we’re in in our lives, and we thought,’ Why change?’. On and off the field, I’m absolutely loving my time, so it was an easy decision to stay.

“We feel like we’ve grown as people and for me, that’s translated into my rugby. I think I’ve developed a lot as a player and with the coaches and the team we’ve got here, I know I can keep growing and learning and getting better.

“We’ve had three semi-finals in a row and one final, and I really believe that we’re so close to taking that next step. That’s so exciting. I want to be a part of it when we get there.”

Sharks director of rugby Alex Sanderson is delighted to have secured the services of the former junior Springbok captain for the foreseeable future.

“As a player and a person, Ernie’s boundless work rate is matched only by the attitude he brings to everything he does and the energy that he gives to everyone around him,” Sanderson said.

“Off the field, he is an incredible leader, not just in how he trains and carries himself, but in his words and the way he speaks to people.

“On the field, he’s a relentlessly physical and extraordinary player who we feel very fortunate to have at the club. We’re so excited that he’s committed his future to the club because we feel he’s only going to get better.”