England’s World Cup-winning captain Zoe Stratford has agreed to join Sale Sharks.
The 29-year-old, who led England to their third World Cup triumph last year, will leave three-time defending Premiership Women’s Rugby champions Gloucester-Hartpury at the end of the season.
Stratford joined Gloucester-Hartpury in 2017 and played a key role in their rise to become the dominant force in the women’s domestic game.
She is pregnant with her first child, due in September, and will join up with her husband Luke, who is Sale’s women’s scrum coach, when she returns to rugby.
“I feel ready to take the next step in my career and, being pregnant, I really want to bring my child up as a northerner,” said Stratford.
“Luke absolutely loves it at Sale. He loves the whole vibe of the club. It’s been brilliant to see how much investment Sale have put into the women’s team and it’s something I can’t wait to be a part of.
“I’ve enjoyed success at Gloucester and with England and hopefully I can bring that experience of winning and help build that belief into the team because I’ve got no doubt we can achieve big things.”
Stratford’s Gloucester-Hartbury and England team-mate Tatyana Heard, 31, agreed a deal to join Sale last week.
Sale are enjoying their best ever Premiership season, rivalling Harlequins and Trailfinders for the final play-off spot with two rounds left to play.