Sale's owner, Brian Kennedy, today dismissed suggestions that he is considering selling the club and said he remained committed to extending the capacity at Edgeley Park to 15,000, the number of spectators he needs to attract to home matches to allow the Sharks to become financially self-sufficient.
Like most clubs in the Guinness Premiership, Sale posted a loss last year and they have had to draw up a package of deals for fans to tempt them through the turnstiles this season. Kennedy has postponed plans to redevelop Edgeley Park because of the economic downturn, but said he would keep digging into his pocket to make good the club's losses.
Sale will be losing their director of rugby, Philippe Saint-André, at the end of the season, along with the France No8 Sébastien Chabal, and the future of the New Zealand centre Luke McAlister remains the subject of speculation with Toulon this week tabling a reported offer of more than £600,000 a year for the 25-year-old.
The Sale coach, Kingsley Jones, will take over from Saint-André next summer and is poised to sign a contract extension. "We are moving forward into a new and exciting future," said Kennedy. "I remain fully committed in both spirit and wallet to build a rugby club that is worthy of our great region in the north-west of England. I thank our supporters for being part of what I consider to be a noble ambition, but we need more like them to force us into further investment to build greater capacity: with 15,000 fans attending all games, we can become totally financially self-sufficient and grow into the biggest club in the country, in all ways."
Sale have been holding contract talks with McAlister, who will be able to speak to other clubs from next month, but fear being priced out of the market. Toulon's president, Mourad Boudjellal, is ready to spend lavishly again next summer despite his side's poor start to the season after winning promotion.
The former South Africa coach Jake White has completed a two-week stint at Toulon and advised Boudjellal that he needs to have a player clear-out and focus on a few quality signings. McAlister and the Australia flanker George Smith are the early targets and Saint-André has been tipped to take over from Tana Umaga as head coach.
Bristol today signed the Wales wing Nathan Brew, one week after turning down the chance to recruit the 26-year old even though his wages would have been paid by a supporters' trust. Since then, the club's New Zealand flanker, Andrew Blowers, has announced he will be returning home next month.
The Wales centre Gavin Henson will return to action for the Ospreys at Newport Gwent Dragons this evening, although he will be out of position at full-back. The Wales captain, Ryan Jones, has recovered from a foot injury to lead the side while the Wales scrum-half, Mike Phillips, who has not played for six months since damaging knee ligaments,]\ is on the bench.
