He then sold the company off in several instalments. Instead, everyone will flock to Manchester to see the country’s most compelling team, packed with once-in-a-generation players. n the north-west of England, they have a vision. “My outlook is brighter than anybody ever thinks but you need to have a bit of a fear factor,” he says. EXCLUSIVE BY NIK SIMON: Sale Sharks owner Simon Orange's tongue is only slightly in its cheek as he outlines his side's three-point plan: 'Sign Manu, win the league, fill the stadium'. I own a part of the club as well as manage it. “In a results-based business they can’t wait for potential whereas I’m different. We won and we were elated.” Then Simon: “And Shell said to me, that was fantastic, how much extra would it cost us to feel like this more often, instead of losing all the time? © 2020 Associated Newspapers Limited. I just don't think that's sustainable and I don't think it can last. Being able to offer the best talent in the north west a professional rugby set-up that will aim to be competing with the best in the country will hope to stop the current trend of top players leaving the region. “We always know we are in competition with Manchester United and Manchester City and all the other great football sides and rugby league sides in the north-west,” says Michelle. Beneath the bristling exterior, though, is an occasionally benevolent dictator. 'CVC are experts at increasing income, so hopefully we can do that whilst keeping control of the coffers. Success doesn’t happen immediately; if we did it all at once we’d lose a bleeding fortune. Control the coffers? However, despite cricket and horse racing being granted ‘test event’ status as the country emerges from … Sale Sharks are building a rugby side that is capable of winning the Premiership Owner Simon Orange outlines his vision for the club during these testing times Sale … When you become owners, it’s your whole week, your whole life.”. [7], In 1999 Kennedy purchased the double-glazing manufacturer Everest. No longer will the start of a. The redoubtable former England and Lions prop, Fran Cotton, is back involved as chairman and Diamond’s budget has been significantly upgraded, with the Springboks scrum-half Faf de Klerk, Wallabies dasher James O’Connor and Scotland No8 Josh Strauss all now aboard. DFP – Promo Box ( 426×240) DFP – Promo Box 2. Big-spending Sale owner Simon Orange would like to plough a few more millions into the Sharks to make them one of the leading clubs in the country but admits the salary cap is a necessary evil to protect the game. Central funding has started up again so that will alleviate the problem a bit. English rugby’s centre of gravity, they insist, is about to shift dramatically. Sale Sharks' new owner promises to invest millions into the Premiership side, as Leicester winger Paolo Odogwu joins. “We rate them as the two best young players coming through since George Ford and Owen Farrell,” Diamond adds. The club was originally owned under his company Genesis, however Kennedy transferred club ownership to himself in the early 2000s to facilitate the sale of Genesis. “We had a blip last year because we recruited on the proviso the club wasn’t going to be bought,” adds Diamond, a board member himself. [11] Brian was the majority shareholder of Entu (UK) Limited until its flotation on the London Stock Exchange (AIM) in October 2014. “And on the first Thursday into lockdown, I’ve got this lovely glass of vodka Martini from Simon and I was like: ‘Why have you given me water?’ I lost the sense of taste for six weeks.”. 'Rugby's finances aren't in a great place, are they?' Brian Kennedy is a British businessman that has founded and sold several companies in the home improvement and energy sectors, in both the US and UK. 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'We can't keep relying on wealthy people to support the sport because that's a bit of a precarious business plan, isn't it? Brian Kennedy is a British businessman that has founded and sold several companies in the home improvement and energy sectors, in both the US and UK. Plus, the consequences are more severe. Simple!'. I mentioned a figure and she said ‘can we afford that?’ and I said we could if that’s what we wanted to spend our money on.” Then Michelle: “And I said ‘what are you waiting for?’”. “I can see everything that’s happening and likely to happen,” says Simon. There will be a host of positions available within the new Sale Sharks Women’s team, and if you are interested in playing, coaching, administration or volunteering, please contact womensrugby@salesharks.com, Sale Sharks AJ Bell Stadium, Stadium Way, Eccles Manchester M30 7WH. This is statistically the best 31-man Squad in the world! Amid high excitement including a three-man clash of heads between De Klerk and Wasps’ Danny Cipriani and Dan Robson in the 80th minute, Sale nicked a 28-27 win in added time. Sale already boast the youngest England forward in 105 years in Tom Curry, 19, whose Test cap in Argentina will trigger a £12,500 package of kit, equipment and tickets from the Sharks … More than a decade has gone since the Sharks won the Premiership but a return to the heady days of Jason Robinson et al is the clear objective. Join i’s rugby forum on Facebook. Michelle, or ‘Shell’ to her family and friends, was born half a mile from Sale’s former ground at Heywood Road.