Manu Tuilagi: Sale Sharks confirm departure of England centre to Top 14 side Bayonne - 'Tough decision'

Sale Sharks have confirmed the departure of England centre Manu Tuilagi to Top 14 team Bayonne.

Tuilagi has signed a two-year deal with Bayonne after making 40 appearances for Sale, having joined the club in 2020 from Leicester Tigers.

The 32-year-old was an integral part of the team which reached last season’s Gallagher Premiership Rugby final.

“I’ve absolutely loved my time at Sale,” Tuilagi said. “It was a really tough conversation with Al [Sale’s director of rugby Alex Sanderson], and a tough decision for everyone because my family and I have been really happy here.

“I never thought I’d leave Leicester and it was a big move, but since arriving here I’ve grown a lot as a person. I’ve developed as a player but more so as a person.

“The environment at Sale is amazing. It’s what makes me want to get out of bed and put the work in, and I genuinely love coming in every day.”

Tuilagi added: “If I’ve helped the young players then that’s great, but they’ve helped me so much too and I’m going to miss them all.

“The mindset from the start of the season was to win the Premiership and that’s what we’re all focused on now. Knowing it’s my last season here will give me an extra push to make sure I leave on a high.”

The move will also make Tuilagi ineligible for England, for whom he has made 60 appearances. His final cap came during a narrow 33-31 loss to France in the Six Nations on Saturday.

The centre played all but one match for England at the 2023 Rugby World Cup, and he now becomes the eighth member of the squad to move to a French club since the tournament’s conclusion.

For now, Tuilagi’s focus will be on the Gallagher Premiership season, which resumes this weekend following the conclusion of the Six Nations.

Sale, who are seventh in the table after seven wins and five losses, take on Bath Rugby, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

“We talked about what was best for the club and what was best for Manu and his family, and we had to make a tough decision,” said Sale’s director of rugby Alex Sanderson. “But it’s still a wrench and really tough for me to accept that he’s going.

“He is one of the world’s best players, and one of the world’s best blokes. There are very few people who can do what he can on the field.

“As a player he’s every bit as good as I thought he was before I came here, but as a person he continues to surprise and inspire me to be better.

“His outlook on life is incredible and he’s so forgiving of things that don’t go his way. That creates a relaxed environment around him and that impacts everyone. We’ll miss him massively on the field, but the void he leaves off it will be harder to fill.”

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