Former England captain surprises everyone by returning to the Premier League to boost his chances for the 2027 World Cup.
Brive has confirmed that former England captain Courtney Lawes will be leaving the club at the end of this season, and it looks like he’s headed back to the Premiership. Now, an English top-flight team has announced they’ve signed the former British and Irish Lion.
Sale Sharks have agreed a one-year deal with Lawes, starting from the 2026/27 season. The 37-year-old, who can play as a lock or in the back row, earned 105 caps for England during a 14-year international career. That included four Rugby World Cups and two Lions tours where he played five matches.
At home, Lawes made nearly 300 appearances for Northampton Saints, his boyhood club, and even captained them to their first Gallagher Premiership title in ten years in 2024. That 2024 final against Bath was his last game in green and gold before he moved to French Pro D2 side Brive.
After two years playing in the south of France, he’s now coming back to England to join Sale Sharks and take another shot at winning one of English rugby’s biggest prizes—and maybe even earn a spot back in Steve Borthwick’s England squad.
Courtney shared, “I’m really excited to be joining Sale. I’ve been out of the Premiership for a couple of years, and I want to finish my career playing at the top level. Sale has a great squad, and I hope I can add to that. Let’s see what we can achieve next season.
“My body feels good, and I’m still performing well. I believe I can compete with the best. If I retired now, I think I’d regret it later. Rugby careers don’t last forever, and life after rugby is long, so I want to make the most of it while I can, give it my all for another season, then see what happens.
“When I decided to come back to the Premiership, only a few teams felt right. Obviously Saints because of my history, but Sale was the other one since my wife’s family is from Cheshire.
“There will be plenty of familiar faces at the club. I’ve played with many England players, and Dorian West was my first forwards coach as a pro. The club is bringing in some fantastic players too—guys like Joe Marchant and Alex Lozowski who will add so much on and off the field.
“I’m officially coming out of international retirement and would love to play for England again. But first, I want to play well for Sale and see where things go from there.”
Sale Sharks Director of Rugby Alex Sanderson said, “Courtney is just the kind of player and person perfect for this club. He’s tough, active around the field, and hits hard, but he also has great skills—it’s not just about physicality with him.
“Rugby is a small world. If you’re a good guy, work hard, stay honest, and bring energy, people notice—that’s exactly what we hear about Courtney.
“He leads from the front and wants to bring others with him. I love that. He’s captained England and knows what it takes to win big games.
“I’m really looking forward to seeing him train and play with us and working alongside someone I’ve heard such great things about.
“Courtney believes in what we’re building here and wants to be part of it. He’s coming back to win trophies and play international rugby again—and he believes he can do that with us.
“This signing shows the club’s ambition and the passion of our owners to really put Sale on the map.”