Sale Sharks Hall of Famer Pete Anglesea has been appointed as the club’s new women’s lineout and maul coach.
The former Sharks skipper and Premiership winner, who also had a spell as the club’s Head Coach, began working with the women’s team in November after spending the last 17 years on the men’s coaching team
A key member of the team for successive Sale coaching regimes, he spent time as Head Coach of the Sharks A team – known as the Jets – as first team Forwards Coach and most recently Breakdown Coach working on the role of the ball carrier.
But he’s now taken on a new role to join Tom Hudson, Charlie Beckett and Luke Stratford on Katy Daley-Mclean’s staff on a permanent basis.
Pete said: “Everyone at the club is passionate about growing the women’s game in the North West and having a really competitive women’s team at Sale Sharks is a huge part of that.
“I’ve been involved with this club for more than 25 years and it means everything to me. I know how important success in every part of the club is to the owners and I really believe the potential of this team is massive.
“I can’t wait to work with the players and this new coaching team to build on what’s already in place and help take it to the next level.”
Sharks Women’s Performance Lead Katy said: “Pete worked with the men’s first team at Sale for a long time and when he started supporting us last year he immediately brought with him a level of experience that we hadn’t in the coaching group.
“He’s been in the game at the very top level for more than 25 years. He’s played, he’s coached and he’s lived through the amateur era too, and that experience is invaluable for a young group, some of whom are balancing a job with their rugby.
“He has a fantastic level of detail but he’s brilliant at motivating and building relationships and we’re all looking forward to working with him.”
Pete joined Sale Sharks as a player in 1998 after spells at Aspull, Orrell and Bedford Blues. Equally at home at number 6 or 8, he quickly nailed down a starting spot and was part of the team that ran out for Sharks’ first game under the club’s new name in 1999.
Pete was part of the England A Churchill Cup team that toured Canada in 2003 and then captained the England XV to Japan in the same year. He also toured with the full England Squad in a successful tour to Argentina in 2002.
He was selected as club captain for the 2003/04 season and was a member of Sale’s Premiership winning squad in 2005/06, before injury forced his retirement the following season.
After retiring, Pete took up a position on the club’s coaching staff, filling in as Head Coach after the departure of Mike Brewer in 2010.
Earlier this season he was inducted into the club’s Hall of Fame.
