Sale Sharks Women have agreed a deal to sign Red Roses fly-half Holly Aitchison from PWR rivals Bristol Bears from the start of the 2025/26 season.
Southport-born Holly, who has won 40 England caps and played a key role in the recent Six Nations Grand Slam, has signed a two-year deal to join Tom Hudson’s squad.
Proud northerner Holly played her junior rugby at Waterloo, where her dad was Director of Rugby, and then Liverpool St Helens before joining Lichfield. International success followed with England at U18s, U20s and Sevens level, before she joined Saracens in 2020.
Holly, 27, scored a try on her England debut in 2021 and her form led to her being named in the starting XV for the 2021 World Cup final.
In 2023 Holly joined Bristol and helped them to a semi-final finish in her first season. In 2024 she was named at fly-half in the World Rugby XV.
Holly said: “I’m super excited to be coming back up north. This is something I have always wanted to do in my career and I’m so glad now is the right time.
“As we’ve seen over the past few seasons it’s imperative to have a club located in the north. Without Sale, there is nowhere for talent to thrive at the top level and giving northern girls ambition and inspiration to understand they can achieve their goals in rugby whilst being based here is incredibly important to me.
“I’m looking forward to engaging with the community in Manchester and inspiring the next generation of Sharks and Red Roses. Ultimately, I want to help push northern rugby up to the top end of the game and that is the ambition in the coming years.
“On the field, I’m excited at the prospect of enjoying my rugby again with a coaching team that wants to spark real change. I believe everyone at the club has huge ambition for the next few years and I can’t wait to see what we can achieve together.
“I’m so excited to get started and be back in the North West.”
Sharks Head Coach Tom Hudson said: “I’ve known about this news for a while, but I’m still as excited about this announcement as the fans will be, seeing it for the first time today.
“Next season we’ll need as much versatility in our kicking game and strategy as possible to come out on top and Holly, among others will be a huge factor in us being able to provide this.
“Alongside this, we can’t wait to see the triple threat attacking game that Holly has shown internationally and domestically for a number of seasons now.
“It’s a huge moment for us as a club to bring in a player like Holly and it says so much about our ambition as a club. It’s massive for northern women’s rugby too, to be able to bring her back home.
“She has a lot to do in the game before we are able to see her in Sharks colours, but I can’t wait to watch knowing we shall see her soon.”
