Sale prepared to fight for newcomer Christ Tshiunza amid interest

Sale Sharks boss Alex Sanderson is ready to fight to keep “mega athlete” Wales international Christ Tshiunza at the club next season, amid interest from Welsh regions, with a move potentially helping him kick-start his international career.

Tshiunza, 24, who plays lock and openside flanker, moved to the Sharks on a one-year deal from Exeter Chiefs this summer but is 10 caps short of meeting the controversial 25-cap threshold that would make him eligible for selection by Steve Tandy.

He is again attracting interest from Welsh regions, and signing for one of them next summer would make him available for Tandy’s 2027 World Cup squad, but Sanderson wants him to remain in Salford.

Sanderson says they have already spoken briefly and expects more serious discussions in the near future if interested Welsh regions follow through with an offer.

“I’ve heard rumours around that, and I understand them. I haven’t really spoken to him yet because it’s still early days and at the moment it’s just rumours. But I don’t want him to go.

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“We have already made overtures around him staying, but he signed a one-year contract and no doubt to give himself flexibility. So we’ll work through it, and hopefully he can remain.

“Clearly, if he does want to play for Wales long term and he hasn’t got the caps, we have to go substantially higher than what Wales could offer for him to still get called up to the Wales squad.

“All they have to match is what we’re paying him, but they don’t have much money, so it might not have to be that much more. But he’s already shown he’s a brilliant squad member, and as I say, he’ll get the opportunity to start and keep the shirt at some point.

“We’ve been kind of working on his game because we know aerially he’s good and he’s a mega athlete, and he showed last season how good he was in attack, but I thought defensively he was strong as well this weekend.

“So he will start one of the games in the next couple of weeks because he deserves that. He’s been on the bench for a few weeks and has done his part,” said Sanderson.