Statement: Tom Curry commits future to Sale Sharks with new contract agreed

The British and Irish Lions and England back-rower has signed a new two-year contract, keeping him at Sale until 2029.

Curry's new deal comes as Alex Sanderson's side prepare to head to StoneX Stadium looking to bounce back from their opening-round defeat to Bristol.

Curry, 28, came through the Sale Sharks academy alongside twin brother Ben and has become one of the defining figures of the club.

Born in Hounslow, Tom and twin brother Ben grew up playing rugby for Crewe & Nantwich RUFC, with Alex Sanderson describing the pair as “adopted northerners”.

Sanderson also says Tom is in great shape physically, despite the amount of rugby he has played during his career.

“He is surpassing his own medical expectations and haven’t seen any signs of wear and tear and is as fresh and mobile as he has been and his capacity to work is amongst the highest at the club,” Sanderson said.

Curry has won 65 England caps and has experience playing across all three back-row positions, but Sanderson sees him primarily as a seven or eight going forward.

“Tom is better round the corner [off set plays] and better in the thick of it,” he said.

That physical intensity was again evident in Sale's opening-round defeat to Bristol, with Curry topping the club's internal statistics.

His new contract comes at an important time for Sale, with a number of key players also approaching the end of their current deals.

Prop Bevan Rodd, Gus Warr and Tom Roebuck are among those out of contract this season, while Curry's twin Ben is working his way back from injury.

Sale owner Michelle Orange previously spoke about the importance of retaining the club's core group of players, describing Curry, Rodd, Warr and Roebuck as part of the “boyband” she wants to keep together. For now, Sale have secured one of their biggest names.

Sale will be without Bevan Rodd, who is expected to miss up to 12 weeks with a scaphoid injury that requires surgery.

Rekeiti Ma’asi-White is also set for a spell on the sidelines after suffering a meniscus injury, although he is expected back within two to three weeks.

There is better news on Tom Roebuck and Ben Curry, with both closing in on their returns.

Curry’s comeback could also see him line up alongside twin brother Tom again, giving Alex Sanderson another boost after the England star signed a new deal with the club.

For now, though, Sale’s focus is on Sunday’s trip to Saracens.

They head to StoneX Stadium looking for a response after losing at home to Bristol in the opening round.

It is also a fixture Sale will be keen to improve in after their heavy defeats against Saracens last season.

Saracens host Sale Sharks at StoneX Stadium on Sunday, with kick-off at 3pm. The match will be shown live on TNT Sports.

Curry could easily have ended up playing a very different sport.

Tom and twin brother Ben were both talented footballers growing up and spent time with Manchester City after being spotted at school.

The pair also had time with Crewe Alexandra before eventually choosing rugby.

Tom later joked that Ben got them into City, while he got them out after scoring an own goal against a Dutch side.

Curry revealed some of his more unusual preferences when answering quick-fire questions for Sale Sharks.

He picked Tokyo Drift: Return of the Drift as his favourite film, pizza as his takeaway of choice and incline bench press as his favourite gym exercise.

His sporting hero? Jonny Wilkinson.

Rugby clearly isn't Curry's only passion.

When asked about his interests outside the sport, the England star simply answered: “My dog Toby.”

However, Curry also revealed that Toby's eating habits are one of the things that get on his nerves.

Perhaps his love of animals explains another interesting detail from his younger years.

Before establishing himself as a professional rugby player, Curry considered pursuing a career in veterinary work.

Instead, rugby took over and he was already playing for England while still a teenager.

The Curry twins were fiercely competitive growing up, whether they were playing rugby, cricket, football or competing in the gym.

That occasionally proved expensive for their parents.

Their father David recalled that the brothers managed to break most of the windows at the family home while playing outside.

That competitiveness continued when they joined Sale, with Ben once pushing himself so hard during a gym session that he had to go outside to be sick.