Amber Schonert: Sale Sharks sign South Africa prop from Cheltenham

Amber Schonert started for Cheltenham Tigers in their Women's Championship play-off final win against Leicester Tigers in April

Sale Sharks have signed South Africa international prop Amber Schonert from Championship side Cheltenham Tigers.

The 31-year-old made her Springboks debut during their Rugby Africa Women's Cup tie with Kenya in May.

Schonert, who is the sister-in-law of Sharks prop Nick Schonert, will now join the club for pre-season.

"It's huge for me to have the chance to play here, at the same club as Nick. We get on so well and he absolutely loves it here," she told the club website.

"He's told me so many good things so it was an easy decision to make.

"Like a lot of the South Africans here, I love the physical side of the game and I'm looking forward to testing myself at this level.

"It's going to be great to have the chance to work with [performance lead] Katy Daley-Mclean [former England World Cup-winning captain] who has achieved so much in her career."