England scrum-half Raffi Quirke has announced he will leave boyhood club Sale Sharks at the end of the season, having been linked with Newcastle Red Bulls.

The 24-year-old, who has won two caps and memorably scored a try in England’s November 2021 win over South Africa, has been hampered by a string of injuries, with Scotland’s Gus Warr often preferred at club level.

However, Quirke has enjoyed a decent run of form this campaign and was part of England’s squad for the autumn internationals, retaining his place for a recent January get-together despite Leicester’s Jack van Poortvliet and Bristol’s Harry Randall both returning from injury.

“This has been the hardest decision of my life so far because Sale is the club that I grew up supporting and dreaming of playing for,” said Quirke.

“Playing here since I was 15 has been an amazing experience and a privilege that has shaped me as a player and a person and I will be forever grateful to [director of rugby] Alex [Sanderson], the owners, the coaches, the players and the supporters for truly believing in me.