Versatile Sale Sharks full-back Luke James has signed a new long-term contract keeping him at his boyhood club until 2029.
The 26-year-old, who is equally happy in the centres, made his debut for Sale in 2017 and has gone on to make 138 appearances, scoring 22 tries.
This season he’s featured four times and scored four tries, including a hat-trick on his return from injury against Leicester in round five of the Prem.
Luke said: “I’m really happy to be staying at Sale. It’s a club that truly feels like home to me and I know it’s where I’m meant to be. I grew up watching the club with my parents and my brother was a ball boy before we both played together here.
“It’s an exciting time for everyone at the club. We’ve been in the top four in the last few seasons and I feel like we’re close to taking the next step and winning trophies.
“I know that it’s the right place for me to be able to develop as a player and achieve everything I want to in the game.
“It’s also been really exciting this season to able to work with the new coaches like Byron and Joey, so I’m looking forward to continuing to learn from them.”
Sharks Director of Rugby Alex Sanderson said: “Luke is homegrown, he loves the club and on top of that he’s an unbelievable player. He’s international class but he hasn’t had the run of games to show everyone what he can do yet.
“He could start in a number of positions for us but the most important thing is that he has a want and desire to be an important part of what we’re building. I’m really excited that he’s staying with us.”
Luke began playing rugby at the age of four for Manchester Rugby Club, and he also represented Wilmslow High School.
He progressed through Manchester’s mini and junior age groups and Sharks’ Player Development Group (PDG) system before signing his first professional contract with Sale in 2017.
Luke earned his first England U20 cap in 2018 against the Junior Springboks at Sixways Stadium and a year later, he was called up to the U20s World Championship, where he gained a further four caps.
