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Kingsley Jones to leave Sale Sharks. Sale Sharks Director of Rugby Kingsley Jones today revealed that he will be leaving the Aviva Premiership club at the end of January. He will depart the club after almost seven years with the Sharks, initially as Head Coach before becoming Director of Rugby in December 2008. During this time the team have won the Premiership in 2006, the European Challenge Cup and progressed to the Heineken Cup Quarter Finals.

Speaking about his departure Kingsley Jones commented:

“I have had a very fulfilling and rewarding time at the club and it is now right for me to move on. Whilst I have enjoyed my off-field role this season representing the Rugby Department on the Board of Directors and working with the Academy, Community, Performance Programmes and Commercial activities my real passion lies with coaching. I will be looking to get back into a role with more hands on coaching in the near future. I leave on very good terms with the club and would like to thank the owners Brian Kennedy and Ian Blackhurst for giving me such a great opportunity. I would also like to thank all the players, staff, fellow board members, supporters and sponsors who I have met and worked with over the past seven years for their support. I wish Steve Diamond, the players and the coaching staff all the best for the remainder of this season and beyond.”

Commenting upon the contribution of Kingsley Jones, Sale Sharks Owner Brian Kennedy said:

“Kingsley has been a wonderful servant to the club over the years. It is down to Kingsley and Philippe Saint-Andre that they took on a group of players and turned them into Premiership Champions. It was the first time in our club’s history that this had been achieved and Sale Sharks are the only club other than Leicester and Wasps to be English Champions since 1998. We will always be grateful for the loyalty, passion, experience and skills that Kingsley brought to this club. However we recognise and respect his desire to get back into coaching and realise that for him to do this effectively then now is the best time to depart. Everyone at the club wishes Kingsley and his family all the best in the future and he will always be a welcome guest whenever he returns to Sale Sharks.”