Danny Cipriani: Sale and England fly-half 'happy to stay' with Sharks

Danny Cipriani joined Sale from Melbourne Rebels in 2012

England fly-half Danny Cipriani is open to extending his contract with Sale.

The 26-year-old is into the final 12 months of the three-year deal he signed with the Sharks in 2012.

Cipriani, who returned to the England team in June after an absence of almost six years, said last season he would like to agree new terms if Sale continued to show ambition.

"That is still the case. I would be happy to stay," the former Wasps man told BBC Radio Manchester.

Sale successfully avoided relegation in Cipriani's first season with the club, but his impressive form last term helped the Sharks to a final position of sixth in the Premiership.

Several first-team regulars, such as scrum-half Dwayne Peel, full-back Rob Miller and prop Henry Thomas, have left Sale during the summer.

But they have been replaced by a number of internationals, ex-England flanker Magnus Lund the latest to move to the AJ Bell Stadium on a one-year deal earlier this week.

Cipriani continued: "I still feel like it would be nice to get three more big players into the team, just when you look at the squads that are available for the teams above us and the rotation they can do, but we're building towards that.

"We're in a new stadium and we're hopefully going to get more numbers here moving to Saturday games.

"Rugby union in the north has a buzz about it and it's going to be a big year. We're in a better starting position than we were last year so it's important we add to it and move on."

Cipriani appeared in two of England's three Tests against New Zealand in June

Cipriani is back in pre-season training with Sale after recently returning from England duty in New Zealand.

He twice appeared as a replacement against the world champions and, although Stuart Lancaster's side lost all three Tests against the All Blacks, Cipriani feels he benefitted from the experience.

"It was a dream come true," he admitted. "It had been a while since I'd played for England and to be involved in that environment, especially with the way Stuart Lancaster has it set up, it was the best England environment I've been in.

"People will look at the results and say it won't be a successful tour, losing all three games, but as a team we learned a lot and I personally learned a lot from the coaches involved.

"It's important that people take the lessons on board and move forward for the season coming."