Sale Sharks sign versatile Wales international Christ Tshiunza

The 24-year-old, known for his versatility and physical presence, stands at 6’6” and is capable of operating in both the second row and back row. He joins from Exeter Chiefs, where he has spent the past six years after progressing from the Cardiff Academy setup.

During his time at Sandy Park, Tshiunza made over 50 appearances under Rob Baxter and scored four tries.

Despite only making his Chiefs debut in September 2021, the Kinshasa-born forward earned a call-up to the senior Wales squad later that year for the Autumn Internationals, making his debut off the bench in a victory over Fiji.

Since then, he has collected 15 caps and was part of Wales’ squad at the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France. Injuries have, however, limited his international involvement, with his most recent appearance coming in November 2024.

Tshiunza said:

“When I spoke to Alex he was talking about how he really wanted to compete for the big trophies and that really excited me. He talked about the plans for the future of the club and it was something that I wanted to be a part of.

“I’ve played against Sale loads of times and as an opposition player you always know that it’s going to be a really tough, physical game that’ll be won by the pack. It’s always the most physical game of the season and that always excited me because love that side of the game.

“Other teams have a real fear of playing Sale because of that physical challenge and I can’t wait to be on the other side of that.

“I’m also really looking forward to playing with the other Welsh lads who are joining – Nicky Smith and Tomas Francis – and some of the guys I know from Exeter. I’ve been at Exeter for a long time and I think it’ll be good for me to experience a new environment with new faces and new players to learn from.”

Tshiunza was born in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, in 2002 during a period of national conflict. In 2010, his father Felix relocated the family to Wales.

He began playing rugby at 12 and joined Whitchurch a year later, quickly progressing to represent Cardiff Schools at Under-15 level.

Sale Sharks Director of Rugby Alex Sanderson added:

“Christ is really intelligent, powerful, supremely dynamic player, with a back story that tells you a lot about how much his career matters to him.

“When you understand where he’s come from to become and international rugby player, it strengthens the belief that his best days are ahead of him.

“He’s got so much ability and raw power and hopefully together we can put him back in a Wales shirt and help him fulfil his massive potential.”