Sale at Stoop for starters

SALE will kick-start the Gallagher Premiership back into action as they visit Harlequins in English rugby’s first game back since the coronavirus pandemic.

The Sharks, coincidently, were just hours away from facing Quins in the final of the Premiership Rugby Cup at the AJ Bell Stadium before the season was suspended in March.

Now the sides will meet at The Stoop in a league game on Friday, August 14.

The games then come thick and fast for second-placed Sharks, with a table-topping crunch against leaders Exeter Chiefs at the AJ Bell on Friday, August 21.

The have a short turnaround before visiting the Ricoh Stadium to take on Wasps on Tuesday, August 25.

And the only other fixture confirmed at the moment will see third-placed Bristol Bears visit the AJ Bell on Saturday. August 29.

All games look set to be behind closed doors, although the club are keen to get fans back in once government legislation allows.

The fixture at The Stoop will end the longest hiatus in Premiership history of 159 days.

A day later four more matches will occur before a bumper weekend of rugby action ends when Northampton host Wasps on Sunday, August 16. The play-off final, which Sale will be hoping to be involved in, will be on October 24.

Steve Diamond, Sale’s director of rugby, said: “It’s fantastic that we have the opportunity to return to play after such a long lay-off. I think everyone across the league is chomping at the bit to get going again.

“It’s been a turbulent period for everyone, but as a club we feel we have come out of the other end of this period stronger than ever.

“We have a top bunch of players here.”