Yorkshire Academy prop, Ben Carlile (07-18) has signed a full-time contract with premiership club Sale Sharks making his debut for the side in their Champions Cup match against Glasgow Warriors at the weekend.

20-year old Ben, started playing rugby as a youngster at both Pocklington School and Hull Ionians. He has risen through the ranks as a Yorkshire academy player, training and playing for England under 17s and 18s and taking up his first professional contract with Yorkshire Carnegie in 2018. This season, he started training with Sale and has taken part in all of the club’s Premiership Rugby Shield fixtures as a guest.

Known for his athleticism and speed, Ben’s hard work and impressive rugby skills have been rewarded with a full-time contract, which will see him stay with the Sharks until the end of next season.

Commenting on the move, Ben said: “I was lucky enough to be invited to play in the Premiership Rugby Shield with Sale this season and I have really enjoyed it so far. It’s been great to play with some really class players and I am so grateful to the Sharks for giving me such an amazing opportunity to further my rugby.  Seeing Joe Carpenter make the move from Yorkshire earlier in the season and go on to make an appearance in the Heineken Cup last week was just unbelievable so I can’t wait to get my head down at Carrington and show what I can do.”

Jonny Wheeler, Pocklington School’s i/c Rugby and Head of Athletic and Coaching Development said: “Huge congratulations to Ben on his move to Sale Sharks; it’s a great opportunity for him to build on the fantastic progress he’s made with Yorkshire Rugby so far and we are all so proud of him at school.”

Ben will join ex-England hooker, OP Rob Webber (94-04) who recently extended his contract with Sale Sharks until the end of the 2020/21 season.