One of South African rugby’s top exports and influential figures at English Premiership club Sale Sharks will call time on his career at the end of this season.

Former Sale captain Jono Ross will retire following the 2022–23 Premiership campaign, hanging up his boots after a 12-year professional career.

The 32-year-old, who joined Sale from Stade Francais in 2017 and has played more than 150 games for the club, has agreed to an early release from his contract in order to return to South Africa with his family.

Ross started his senior career with the Vodacom Bulls in 2011 and had a brief stint in Europe with the Saracens at the end of that season before returning to Pretoria for another year.

In 2014, he left the Bulls and headed to Europe, where he spent three years in the French capital and won the Challenge Cup and Top 14 with Francais.

“Since joining the club in 2017, Sale and Manchester have really become a home away from home for my family and I. We have absolutely loved our time at the club and living in Manchester,” Ross told the club’s website.

“To the Sharks fans, thank you for the support over my six years here. You are all fantastic. Please keep behind the lads, as you really do make a resounding difference on the pitch. It’s been a great ride, and I will miss running out at the AJ Bell, but at some point, your body tells you when it’s time to stop, and for me, that time is now.

“I am hugely excited for what’s to come next, but you can be sure I’ll be watching the boys continue to grow from afar. Hopefully in the sun with a beer in hand!”

“ 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘴, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵 𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘴𝘪𝘹 𝘺𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤. 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘥𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩."

Hear from Jono and the boss here👇

— Sale Sharks 🦈 (@SaleSharksRugby) April 28, 2023