Sale Sharks have captured Scotland and British and Irish Lions veteran Chris Cusiter on a two-year deal beginning next season.
The Salford-based club have signed the 31-year-old scrum-half from Glasgow Warriors as a direct replacement for Dwayne Peel, who departs for Bristol Rugby in the summer.
Cusiter is an established international, having represented Scotland on 66 occasions, which led to him winning a Lions’ cap on their 2005 tour.
Sale’s director of rugby Steve Diamond said: “Chris is a great signing for the club. We have signed him to replace Dwayne Peel who is leaving us after six years at the club and we know that Chris will be the quality replacement we need.
“A lot of credit for the signing must go to Bryan Redpath [Sale’s former director of rugby] who knows Chris well. Chris will join us in the close season and we look forward to him arriving.”
Cusiter made his first appearance for Scotland in 2004 and went on to become a seasoned regular – in 2009 he was unfortunate enough to be knocked unconscious while playing against Fiji.
Sharks fly-half and England international Danny Cipriani praised the new signing’s experience and believes it will prove beneficial for the club.
“I’m definitely looking forward to playing with him,” he said. “He’s a like-for-like replacement for Peely, [Dwayne Peel] who’s done so well at the club over the years. I think Cusiter is a very tenacious scrum-half, he’s got a very good pass in him.
“He’s a director and leader of men and he’s captained sides before so I think he’s a very good signing for us, and hopefully there’s more to come.”
Image courtesy of Glasgow Warriors TV via YouTube, with thanks.
