Sale Sharks Women have agreed a deal to sign England’s World Cup winning captain Zoe Stratford OBE from the start of the 2026/27 Premiership Women’s Rugby (PWR) season.
Zoe has won 69 test caps since making her England debut in 2016 and led the team to glory in September’s final against Canada at a sold-out Allianz Stadium.
The 29-year-old was named World Player of the Year in 2021 and has also co-captained Gloucester-Hartpury to three back-to-back PWR titles.
Born in Scarborough, Zoe began her rugby career at Scarborough RUFC before moving to West Park Leeds and later Hartpury College, where she combined full‑time rugby with her studies.
She went on to represent Darlington Mowden Park before establishing herself as a key figure at Gloucester‑Hartpury alongside future Sharks teammate Tatyana Heard.
In March, Zoe and Sharks Women’s coach husband Luke, announced they were expecting their first child, ruling her out of the current Women’s Six Nations.
Zoe said: “I feel ready to take the next step in my career and, being pregnant, I really want to bring my child up as a Northerner. I haven’t played competitive rugby in the North since I was 15 or 16, and so coming back and playing up in the North is something that I’m super passionate about.
“Luke absolutely loves it at Sale. He loves the whole vibe of the club, he loves Michelle’s ethos around the place, how much she drives the standards, and how passionate she is about the women’s side especially.
“It’s been brilliant to see how much investment Sale have put into the women’s team and it’s something I can’t wait to be a part of.
“I can see in that Sale team that they want to play for each other and you can tell they have a good time off the pitch as well. They have a real camaraderie and it’s exciting to join a club that holds that in such a high regard.
“I’ve enjoyed success at Gloucester and with England and hopefully I can bring that experience of winning and help build that belief into the team because I’ve got no doubt we can achieve big things.”
Sharks Head Coach Tom Hudson said: “When I joined the club just over 12 months ago I spoke with Michelle and Katy about the objective of this project being to build a truly elite and world class rugby environment here in the North of England.
“We have made great progress this season but we must keep improving and keep moving forward.
“I think it is a real statement of intent from us as a club and testament to what we are building that Zoe, a former world player of the year and the Red Roses World Cup winning captain, wants to join us while she is still in the prime of her career.”
The best way to watch Zoe and Tatyana in action is with a Sale Sharks Women season ticket. Adult tickets cost just £50 – get yours here and be part of The Northern Force.
