Last updated at 14:16, Thursday, 27 May 2010

Steve Hanley is putting his boots back on in an attempt to find the next generation of Cumbrian rugby stars.

Steve Hanley

The former England and Sale Sharks winger, who began his career with home-town team Aspatria, retired with a serious back injury last year at the age of just 29.

But he is coming out of retirement to play in a charity match on Saturday, June 12, to help raise funds for the Sharks academy.

Hanley, now working on the commercial side at Edgeley Park after a glittering career which saw him win one England cap in a Five Nations Grand Slam decider against Wales at Wembley in 1999, will team up with his former Sales team-mates, including Barrie Jon Mather, Jos Baxendell, Mark Taylor and Steve Diamond, for The Legends Return.

He hopes to raise enough money to provide two young players with a bursary to the Sale Sharks academy – and his dream is to discover the next Cumbrian player on a conveyor belt which has produced himself and fellow England internationals Mark Cueto and Steve Borthwick.

Hanley, whose career was effectively ended during a crunching tackle in a European Cup game against French side Bayonne, said: “I really enjoyed my 10 years at Sale Sharks. Coming from Cumbria, I was fortunate to be able to play my professional rugby for my north west club.

“Now that I work on the commercial side of the club, I decided that I wanted to do my bit to support up-and-coming players from the north west region and help them get their chance to become the future stars of Sale Sharks.

“My aim over the next twelve months is to raise enough funding to provide two north west players with a bursary to the Sale Sharks Academy. It would be fantastic if one of the bursaries could go to support a player from Cumbria and the second coming from elsewhere in the North West.

“My testimonial game last season was just a fun day out. We got so many of the old faces together and really had a laugh on the pitch and a few more after as well.

“It was such a special celebration of the club that I just had to arrange another match this season. I hope to turn this into an annual summer event supporting the academy as well as a chosen charity.

“This year we have also chosen to support 'Help for Heroes'. These members of our Armed Forces do so much for our country. It’s very important that we play our part to support them upon their return.”

Hanley broke into the Aspatria team at the age of 17 and scored more than 30 tries in his first season.

After a single season at Bower Park, where dad Mel is still club president, he caught the eye of Sale in 1998, and within a year was propelled into the England team for the Five Nations when winger David Rees suffered an injury.

He marked his international debut against Wales with a try, but England lost both the match and the chance of the Grand Slam.

Hanley became the Premiership’s all-time leading try scorer, triumphantly crossing the line 75 times – a record that still stands.

Tickets for the match cost £8 (adult seats), £6 (standing) and £2 for children under 16.

Tickets are now on sale from the Sale Sharks ticket office on 08444 994 994 or online. For more information visit www.salesharks.com/legendsreturn

First published at 12:31, Thursday, 27 May 2010
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk