Neil Briggs’ return was confirmed in January when, after four years away from Sale Sharks where he played for six seasons from 2005, including stints at Bourgoin and Leicester, he had little hesitation in deciding he wanted another slice of life in the North West.

Sale Sharks look set to climb the Aviva Premiership Rugby table this season and Mark Easter is convinced that a talented young core have them set to thrive for years to come.

A day after England brought the Rugby World Cup to Manchester, the next generation of talent were proving the future is indeed bright as Sale Sharks hosted their Land Rover Premiership Rugby Cup.

Danny Cipriani is refusing to give up on his dream of international rugby and insists he’s still very much gunning for the England No.10 jersey.

Last weekend more than 125,000 people came to Manchester to watch both codes of rugby, at long last a chance for union to sell itself to the typically league-loving North.

Attention may be focussed on England’s premature exit from World Cup 2015 but for RFU development director Steve Grainger the introduction of rugby into previously non-playing schools demonstrates the lasting legacy of the tournament.

When Terry Flanagan floored Diego Magdaleno for the third time in the opening two rounds to successfully defend his WBO Lightweight world title on Saturday night, Manchester’s growing reputation for boxing excellence was firmly underscored.

Brad Barritt believes that The RFU’s All Schools programme is beneficial to the North West, and not just in terms of the increased pool of talent emerging from the area.

England may be out of the World Cup but former internationals are hoping fans will get behind the many countries that are still represented in the Sale Sharks changing room.

To mark the World Cup clash between England and Uruguay in Manchester this weekend, a brand new sport held its inaugural contest at the Chill Factore: Rugski.

England’s insipid early exit from their Rugby World Cup is inevitably going to be the catalyst for endless recrimination.