Sale Sharks have agreed a deal to sign powerful Welsh international forward Christ Tshiunza on an initial one-year contract ahead of the 2026/27 season.
The versatile 24-year-old, who stands at 6’6” and can play in either the back row or second row, has spent the last six years at Exeter Chiefs after making the switch from the Cardiff Academy.
In that time he’s played more than 50 times for Rob Baxter’s side, scoring four tries.
Despite only making his Chiefs debut in September 2021, Kinshasa-born Christ received his first call-up to the full Welsh squad for that year’s Autumn Internationals, featuring as a replacement in a win over Fiji.
He has since won 15 caps and featured in the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France, but injuries have restricted his international availability. He last represented his country in November 2024.
Christ said: “When I spoke to Alex he was talking about how he really wanted to compete for the big trophies and that really excited me. He talked about the plans for the future of the club and it was something that I wanted to be a part of.
“I’ve played against Sale loads of times and as an opposition player you always know that it’s going to be a really tough, physical game that’ll be won by the pack. It’s always the most physical game of the season and that always excited me because love that side of the game.
“Other teams have a real fear of playing Sale because of that physical challenge and I can’t wait to be on the other side of that.
“I’m also really looking forward to playing with the other Welsh lads who are joining – Nicky Smith and Tomas Francis – and some of the guys I know from Exeter.
“I’ve been at Exeter for a long time and I think it’ll be good for me to experience a new environment with new faces and new players to learn from.”
Christ was born in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, in 2002 when the country was gripped by a second national war. His father Felix took his wife, their four daughters and youngest son Christ to Wales in 2010.
Aged 13, Christ joined Whitchurch – having taken up rugby as a joke the year before – and was soon selected for Cardiff Schools Under 15s.
Sharks Director of Rugby Alex Sanderson said: “Christ is really intelligent, powerful, supremely dynamic player, with a back story that tells you a lot about how much his career matters to him.
“When you understand where he’s come from to become and international rugby player, it strengthens the belief that his best days are ahead of him.
“He’s got so much ability and raw power and hopefully together we can put him back in a Wales shirt and help him fulfil his massive potential.”
