At the closure of the 2010-11 season, Sale Sharks can confirm that 21 players and four backroom personnel are leaving the club as Executive Director of Sport Steve Diamond takes positive strides to take the club forward.

The club thanks all for their services, and extends best wishes for their future careers.

Those moving on are:

Chris Bell, Asaeli Boko, Chris Brightwell, Sean Cox, Ben Cohen, Rhys Crane, Carl Fearns, Jack Forster, Charlie Hodgson, Matty James, Chris Jones, Sisaro Koyamaibole, Selorm Kuadey, Chris Leck, Neil McMillan, Simon McIntyre, Fergus Mulchrone, Kristian Ormsby, Nic Rouse, Eifion Roberts and Mathew Tait.

The backroom staff who are leaving are Conditioner Peter Finch, Backs Coach Byron Hayward, Analysts Dan Lyne and Andrew Vernon.

Sale Sharks’ Executive Director of Sport Steve Diamond stated, “Such a wholesale change of players and coaching staff is necessary considering the performances of the club in the last two seasons. With a couple of exceptions, the club declined to make offers to the departing players and staff.”

Sharks CEO Mick Hogan enthused, “The whole club are excited by the calibre of the new signings and re-signings the club have made on and off the pitch and these have been shown by our Season Ticket Sales.

Hogan added, “There are still a number of signings and re-signings to be announced in the next fortnight. By the start of June, all players and coaches will be in place to start pre-season conditioning at the newly developed High Performance Training Centre at Carrington in readiness for the 2011/12 season at Edgeley Park.”