Nathan Jibulu has signed a new contract with Sale Sharks that aims to keep the hooker at the club until 2030, less than a year after he arrived from Harlequins (BBC Sport).

The 23-year-old moved north last summer and made 23 appearances in his first season at Sale — enough to convince director of rugby Alex Sanderson that a long-term commitment was worth making (Sale Sharks). For the uninitiated, a hooker is the forward who throws the ball in at the lineout and packs down in the middle of the scrum, wearing the number two shirt. The role demands a reliable throwing arm, a strong scrummaging technique and, increasingly, the ball-carrying instincts of a loose forward.

Sanderson has been struck by how Jibulu covers all three bases. The Sale boss said the young hooker combines "fundamental skills" with genuine quality in the loose — pointing to his skill, footwork and power with ball in hand (BBC Sport).

The new deal caps a rapid rise. Jibulu earned a call-up to an England training squad in June, his first involvement at senior international level (BBC Sport). His transfer from Harlequins, where he had come through the academy system, was announced in February 2025 and tied him to Sale from the start of the 2025/26 season (Harlequins).

Jibulu himself is looking forward as much as backward. He singled out two younger teammates — Alfie Longstaff and Ralph McEachran — as exciting prospects who point to a bright future at the club (BBC Sport).

For Sale, locking down a player who is already drawing England attention until the end of the decade is a statement of intent. Premiership clubs have grown used to losing emerging talent to richer leagues in France and Japan. Keeping a homegrown, internationally-adjacent player off that market matters.

Jibulu will likely return for pre-season with a point to prove: the England call-up was for a training camp rather than a matchday squad, and the next step is forcing his way into the matchday 23 on Test weekends. A strong second season at Sale would do his chances no harm at all.