Sale announce Denny Solomona signing

Sale Sharks announced on Tuesday the signing of prolific rugby league winger Denny Solomona on a three-year contract.

The decision to sign Solomona by the Aviva Premiership club comes after the 23-year-old failed to report for the pre-season training with English rugby league club Castleford Tigers and further informed Sale Sharks about his decision to switch codes.

Sale Sharks rugby director Steve Diamond is delighted with the signing and is confident that Solomona will be a boost to the club.

"We are delighted that Denny has signed for us.

"He is a great player with an eye for scoring tries and has the added bonus of having played rugby union in his time at school and college."

The acquisition of Solomona by Sale Sharks will not be without a fight from Castleford Tigers, who have threatened to take legal action with backing from Rugby Football League.

The winger was named in Sale Sharks' European Champions squad last week but failed to feature in the Saturday's game and RFL chief executive Nigel Wood said he had expressed his concern to Rugby Football Union and Premiership Rugby on the issue.

"This has profound implications for the game," Wood said at a briefing last week.

"Clearly the sanctity of contracts have to be respected. It's a concern for more than the game, it's bigger than just rugby league or rugby union, it's almost like a law of the land issue really.

"Unilaterally walking away from things is not something you would condone.

"We've been in contact with both the RFU and Premier Rugby to express our concerns. They are aware of our position."

Solomona made his debut for Samoa in October and also had a splendid 2016 Super League season where he broke Lesley Vainikolo's record of most tries scored when he went past the line 40 times.