Sale Sharks to sign Wales prop Tomas Francis

Sale Sharks have agreed a deal to sign Welsh international prop Tomas Francis on a two-year contract, with the move set to take effect from the start of the 2026/27 season.

The 33-year-old tighthead will join the Manchester club after completing his current stint with French Pro D2 side Provence. Francis moved to France in 2023 after leaving Wales and has continued to play regular top-level rugby since then.

Francis is well known to PREM Rugby supporters from his previous spell with Exeter Chiefs, where he established himself as one of the league’s most reliable front-row forwards.

He also enjoyed a long association with the Ospreys earlier in his career. His return to the Gallagher PREM will see him reunited with several familiar faces, including Sale hooker Luke Cowan-Dickie.

On the international stage, Francis made his Wales debut in 2015 and has earned 77 caps to date. He featured in three Rugby World Cups and was part of the Wales side that secured the Six Nations Grand Slam in 2019, the nation’s most recent clean sweep in the Championship.

Francis becomes the second Welsh international prop to commit to Sale for next season, following Leicester loosehead Nicky Smith’s earlier agreement to join the club.

“I had a really good time at Exeter so I know the Prem well and I’m looking forward to playing with guys like Luke Cowan-Dickie again.

“I’ve had a real adventure in France but I wanted to take the next step and after I spoke to Alex, I knew this was the right move. Something really exciting is building at Sale. They play the kind of rugby I love, it’s a top four squad and I want to be a part of that.

“When I heard my mate Nicky Smith was joining next season as well, it clinched it.

“My first experience of rugby was watching Sale as a child and my first rugby shirt was a Sharks shirt with ‘Francis 3’ on the back. This is the perfect place for me. It’s a brilliant full circle moment".