Sale head coach Taylor to step down at end of season

Rachel Taylor won 67 caps for Wales before retiring in 2017

Rachel Taylor will stand down from her role as Sale Sharks head coach at the end of the Premiership Women's Rugby (PWR) season.

The former Wales captain has been part of the club's coaching staff since 2021 after retiring from a glittering playing career.

Taylor, 41, is no stranger to making history, having become the first female coach of a national league Welsh rugby team when she took over at division two side Colwyn Bay in 2018.

She was also the Welsh Rugby Union's (WRU) first professional national female coach, but that role was short-lived as she resigned just a few months in.

Sale said they "hope to agree on a new role" for Taylor, with the details to be announced at a later date.

The Sharks are currently bottom of the PWR, having lost 12 from 12 games, but Taylor is confident the team are heading in the right direction.

"This role has been super-challenging but I've really loved it and I'm proud of what we've achieved and what we're building," she said.

"We were never going to get success overnight, creating a new team, but I'm confident that we've weathered the storm.

"It's been a real journey but now I feel that it's time for a change and for someone with fresh ideas to come in and lead the team forward to the next level."