Courtney Lawes to join Sale Sharks and says he is coming out of international retirement

Courtney Lawes is set to join Sale Sharks next season after leaving CA Brive at the end of the current campaign, with the former England flanker also saying he is “officially coming out of international retirement.”

Sky Sports reported the move on Tuesday, with Lawes directly linking his return to England to the possibility of another run in Test rugby. The report adds a fresh twist to a move that had already been circulating after Brive confirmed he would depart this summer.

Brive said it understood Lawes’ wish to take on “another challenge in his country of birth” after two years in France. Earlier reports on Monday had indicated that the 36-year-old would return to the Premiership, but the England angle emerged in the latest coverage.

Lawes last played for England before stepping away from international rugby, and his comments now reopen the possibility of a recall if selectors decide he is ready and available.

Sale have not yet issued a separate public announcement, but the story has been reported independently by multiple outlets and is now being widely treated as imminent.