Sale head coach Deacon departs club

Paul Deacon played rugby league for England and Great Britain

Sale have parted company with head coach Paul Deacon after five years in charge.

The Sharks were beaten in the Premiership semi-finals by Leicester last weekend after finishing the season in third place.

The 46-year-old joined Sale in 2015, initially as part of Steve Diamond's coaching staff, before taking over in 2020.

"To reach four semi-finals out of five seasons has been incredible – my only regret is that we didn't manage to win the Premiership but I've got no doubt that will come," Deacon told the Sale website.

Deacon switched codes from rugby league to take up a role as attack coach at Sale having won four Super League Grand Finals, two Challenge Cups and the World Club Challenge during a glittering career as a player with both Bradford Bulls and Wigan Warriors.

Sale expect to announce details of their coaching line-up for next season "in the coming days" and the club's director of rugby Alex Sanderson paid tribute to the departing Deacon.

"For the last five years he's been the first person I call on a Sunday, " he said.

"He's been the most diligent, the most hard-working and the most dependable head coach and for me on a personal level, he's been a rock."