Courtney Lawes ‘officially un-retiring’ for England after announcing Sale move

Veteran’s Prem return makes him eligible for internationals

Forward will ‘never forget’ time at French second-tier club

The former England captain Courtney Lawes is returning to the Prem to join Sale at the end of the season after two years withBrive. The 37-year-old retired from international rugby after the 2023 Rugby World Cup and made the move to France after winning the 2023-24 Premiership title with Northampton.

Sale confirmed on Tuesday that he would be moving to the north-west of England with his return making him eligible again for international duty. Lawes said: “I’m really excited to be joining Sale. My body feels good and I’m still performing at a high level. I feel like I can compete with the best of them, and then some, and if I retired now, I’d probably regret it when I was older.