Sale move for Exeter and Wales lock Tshiunza

Exeter Chiefs' Christ Tshiunza bursts through the challenges of two Leicester Tigers playersshutterstock

Christ Tshiunza came through the Cardiff Blues academy, before joining the Chiefs while attending the University of Exeter

Sale Sharks have agreed a deal to sign Wales lock Christ Tshiunza from Exeter Chiefs for the 2026-27 season.

Tshiunza, 24, has made more than 50 appearances for Exeter since his debut in September 2021, but has barely featured this term due to a broken foot.

The injury sustained on the opening day of the Prem season ruled him out of this year's Six Nations.

"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 told Sale's website.

"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."

Tshiunza was part of the Chiefs' 2022-23 Prem Cup-winning squad and followed that by playing for Wales in the 2023 Rugby World Cup.

The last of his 15 caps came in November 2024.

"Christ is a really intelligent, powerful and supremely dynamic player, with a back story that tells you a lot about how much his career matters to him," added Sharks' director of rugby Alex Sanderson.

"When you understand where he's come from to become an 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."

Injury-hit career

The DR Congo-born forward has seen his time at Exeter disrupted by injuries, breaking his foot twice.

He missed five months of the 2023-24 season after the first incident, coincidentally against Sale, in his first domestic game after playing for Wales at the 2023 World Cup.

Tshiunza then sustained another break against Northampton in September, and only made his return to the squad for the Prem Rugby Cup final defeat by Leicester on 15 March.

"When I spoke to Alex, he was talking about how he really wanted to compete for the big trophies and that really excited me," Tshiunza said.

"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.

"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."