Where are they now? The PREM winning Sale Sharks team of 2006

It was 20 years ago to the day that Sale Sharks became the first northern team to win a Premiership final after thrashing Leicester Tigers 45-20 to end a run of three successive crowns by Wasps at the start of the play-off era.

Sale, who had won 16 games out of 22 to finish two games clear at the top of the table, then put Wasps to the sword 22–12 in the semi-final to earn a place in the Twickenham showpiece and became the first team to finish top to win the final.

The Sharks, who had won two European Challenge Cups, scored tries through Mark Cueto, Magnus Lund, Oriol Ripol and Chris Mayor, with Charlie Hodgson landing a drop goal, a conversion and six penalties, while Valentin Courrent chipped in with a conversion.

The Tigers, who couldn’t cope with the Sharks’ power and control, replied with tries from Lewis Moody and Jim Hamilton, while Andy Goode landed two penalties and two conversions.

Jason Robinson: Full-back, a dual-code international who was a World Cup winner in 2003, became the first player to win a Grand Final in both codes, has worked in the media as a brand ambassador and runs the Jason Robinson Foundation.

Mark Cueto: Winger who played in the 2007 World Cup final, worked in the Sharks’ commercial department on radio and television. He is now the commercial director for the renewable energy firm CorpEnergi.

Mark Taylor: Wales centre, who scored the first try in the rebuilt Millennium Stadium, his father Ivor was part of the Newport side who beat the Springboks in 1969, is a chartered accountant and works for the WRU.

Elvis Seveali’i: The Samoan Test centre has been based in the United States since 2008, working as a carpenter, and is now based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and works as a backs, attack and skills coach.

Oriol Ripol: The Spanish winger, who also won the Challenge Cup with Sale Sharks, is now based in Sweden and, after serving as head of performance for the Swedish Rugby Federation, is a sports development & performance consultant.

Charlie Hodgson: England fly-half who served Sale Sharks and Saracens with distinction, has worked as an account manager in the medical industry and is now the founder of the mentoring firm Rugby Buddy.

Richard Wigglesworth: Scrum-half who won seven Premiership titles with three clubs, was interim head coach at Leicester Tigers, and is now an assistant coach with England.

Lionel Faure: French international loosehead prop was a rugby consultant at Canal+ for seven years and is now working in insurance as a general agent for AXA at Faure Insurance in Toulouse.

Andy Titterrell: England hooker who joined the staff at Wasps as a part-time conditioner, then forwards coach, before heading to the RFU to work in the England Under-20s set-up as a pathway coach.

Stuart Turner: England tighthead who could play on either side, has coached at Caldy and Waterloo and was the operations manager for Neogen Corporation.

Chris Jones: England A international back-row who became an Independent Financial Advisor at St James’s Place Wealth Management and Swiftsure Wealth Management.

Ignacio Fernández Lobbe: Argentina lock who played at three World Cup finals, whose brother Juan Martín also played for the Sharks, has worked as a coach, most recently as the head coach for the Pampas in the Super Rugby Americas League.

Jason White: Scotland flanker who was a Lions tourist, was an Athlete Director at an Edinburgh-based management company before going to work at Loretto School, where he is now Director of Sport.

Magnus Lund: An England international flanker and the son of a Norwegian basketball player, he owned a CrossFit gym in Biarritz and is now a personal trainer based in Barcelona, Spain.

Sebastien Chabal: The French No.8 was dubbed the scariest rugby player, went to business school, has dabbled in the wine trade among other things, and is also involved in the organisation Peace and Sport.

Replacements:

Sebastien Bruno: French international hooker who won the Heineken Cup with Toulon, went into coaching with Lyon and France and has an events catering company from the Bruno Organisation.

Barry Stewart: Scotland prop spent five years with the Sharks and is now back north of the border working as assistant director and investment manager for financial firm Brewin Dolphin.

Dean Schofield: A lock who won two England caps, he worked for GB Homes and is now working for a lifestyle interiors firm in Cheshire, which he owns with his wife Gemma.

Christian Day: The Blackpool-born England Saxons lock is now the General Secretary and CEO of The Rugby Players Association, where he started out as a player liaison officer.

Ben Foden: England full-back and wing was married to pop star Una Healy of The Saturdays, has worked in real estate in New York and is director of rugby at Scarborough College and head coach of Scarborough RFC.

Valentin Courrent: A versatile performer who could play scrum-half and fly-half, won a Top 14 title with Toulouse in 2008, runs a multi-services firm Mojo Services and is an event organiser for Rugbygolf.

Chris Mayor: The England Sevens centre also played for Wigan Warriors, ran a pub and fish and chip shop, and is now business development manager for medical products and services firm Hospital Innovations.