Lauren Delany

Winger Lauren Delany joined Sale Sharks Women in August 2020 and became co-captain of the team alongside Georgie Perris-Redding in 2022. 

She was a late convert to rugby having spent her youth playing basketball. She represented Ireland at basketball at under 16s level, including the European Championships in 2005, and competed in the Basketball Ireland Women's Superleague with Meteors Basketball Club.  

At the age of 25 Lauren moved to England to do her masters degree and joined Bletchley Ladies, before moving to Waterloo Ladies who, at the time, played in the Premier15s.  

Lauren was recruited by the Irish Rugby Football Union IQ rugby (Irish-qualified) system after former-Ireland manager Adam Griggs saw her playing in a trial match in England in 2018.  

That year she made her debut for Ireland in an Autumn International against USA rugby, and the following year she made her Women's Six Nations debut, at full-back, against England. 

Lauren moved to the wing in 2020, and scored her first Six Nations try against Wales in the 2020 Women's Six Nations. In August 2020 she joined Sale Sharks Women. 

Off the field, Lauren worked as the nutritionist for the Super League rugby league men’s team Leeds Rhinos for two seasons before joining Sale Sharks as their lead nutritionist for the men’s and academy team in 2022.