Steve Hanley (rugby player)
Encyclopedia
Steven Melvyn Hanley is a former rugby union
footballer who played on the wing for the Sale Sharks
, signing with the club in 1998. He played one Test for England
and scored a try in his debut against Wales
. He was Sale's "Player of the Year" in 2004. After suffering a back injury in December 2007, Hanley retired in July 2008 after being told by doctors he would not recover well enough to play professional rugby. He scored 104 tries in 191 games, 75 of which were in the Premiership which remains a league record. After retiring from playing rugby, Hanley joined Sale's commercial department.
campaign along with Barrie-Jon Mather
. Although Hanley scored a try, he also was handed-off by Craig Quinnell
and suffered a broken arm as Wales won 32–31. It was the only match Hanley would play for the senior England team. It was never explained to him why he was not selected again, although there was speculation that his defence need to be improved. In 2001, he trained with rugby league
side St Helens to improve his defence. Reflecting in 2005 on why he was unable to break into the England team after 1999, Hanley said "They had a settled side under Clive [Woodward] and once you were in, it was hard to get out as the team was winning all the time".
The club moved from Heywood Road
in Sale
to Edgeley Park
in Stockport in 2003. A mixed season saw Sale win at Welford Road
for the first time, and later become the first club to score six tries in a match at the same venue; progress to the final of the Powergen Cup where they were defeated 37–33 by Newcastle Falcons
; and fail to qualify for the Heineken Cup. Hanley was named the club’s "Player of the Season". Philippe Saint-André
joined Sale as their coach in March 2004. Speaking in 2005 of Saint-André's effect on Sale, Hanley noted that "He has brought a lot of different ideas to the club, people have stood up and taken notice of him. He has a special interest in his wingers and has lots of good ideas and little technical things only a player who has played the class of rugby he has would know."
In the final Premiership match of the 2004/05 season, Hanley suffered a broken leg. The injury was sustained in a 22–43 defeat to London Wasps in May as Sale finished third in the league. It forced him to miss the European Challenge Cup
final against Pau
, although he had played in every match of the club's campaign. Sale won 27–3, their first piece of silverware since 2002. Hanley scored 15 tries in the season, nine of which were in the Premiership. Sale's back three – made up of Hanley, Mark Cueto
, and Jason Robinson
– scored more tries than any other club's.
There was a friendly rivalry between Hanley and fellow Sale winger Mark Cueto
to see who would finish each season as the club's leading try-scorer. Hanley recovered from his broken leg and returned to first team rugby on 17 August 2005, scoring a try in Sale's 26–23 win over Castres Olympique
in the Heineken Cup
. In 2006, Hanley was named Sale's "Community Player of the Season".
in December 2007, Hanley suffered a back injury. Unable to recover, in July 2008 he announced his retirement from rugby. In his ten-year career with Sale, he played 191 matches, scoring 104 tries. According to Hanley, "the medical advice is that I will not be able to play Premiership rugby again". He finished his career with 75 Premiership tries, a record at the time and yet to be surpassed. The following season, 2008/09, the club held a testimonial for Hanley. He commented that "For me, its been so nice to get back in touch with everybody. You play with these guys for so long and when you are in a rugby environment they are some of your best mates. But when they drift away you tend to lose contact with people so it has been brilliant to catch up with so many old friends."
He has retained connections with Sale since retiring from playing and works in club's commercial department.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
footballer who played on the wing for the Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks
Sale Sharks are a professional rugby union club who play in England in the Aviva Premiership.The club is an offshoot of Sale FC, which is based at Heywood Road in Sale, Greater Manchester, but Sharks currently play in Stockport at Edgeley Park, ground sharing with Stockport County F.C.Part of the...
, signing with the club in 1998. He played one Test for England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
and scored a try in his debut against Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
. He was Sale's "Player of the Year" in 2004. After suffering a back injury in December 2007, Hanley retired in July 2008 after being told by doctors he would not recover well enough to play professional rugby. He scored 104 tries in 191 games, 75 of which were in the Premiership which remains a league record. After retiring from playing rugby, Hanley joined Sale's commercial department.
Starting out and early international recognition
Steve Hanley signed with Sale Sharks in 1998. With a Grand Slam on the cards, Hanley was one of two Sale players to make their international debut in England's final match of their 1999 Five Nations1999 Five Nations Championship
The 1999 Five Nations Championship was the seventieth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the hundred-and-fifth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played...
campaign along with Barrie-Jon Mather
Barrie-Jon Mather
Barrie-Jon Mather is a former Great Britain national rugby league team and England Rugby Union International player. He is best known for being the first Great Britain Rugby League International Player to be capped by England at Rugby Union...
. Although Hanley scored a try, he also was handed-off by Craig Quinnell
Craig Quinnell
Craig Quinnell is a former Welsh Rugby Union player.Quinnell played 54 games for the Cardiff club between November 1999 and May 2002 and established himself as one of the backbones of the pack. Though often in the firing line from opposition forwards, he never took a step backwards and was a firm...
and suffered a broken arm as Wales won 32–31. It was the only match Hanley would play for the senior England team. It was never explained to him why he was not selected again, although there was speculation that his defence need to be improved. In 2001, he trained with rugby league
Rugby league
Rugby league football, usually called rugby league, is a full contact sport played by two teams of thirteen players on a rectangular grass field. One of the two codes of rugby football, it originated in England in 1895 by a split from Rugby Football Union over paying players...
side St Helens to improve his defence. Reflecting in 2005 on why he was unable to break into the England team after 1999, Hanley said "They had a settled side under Clive [Woodward] and once you were in, it was hard to get out as the team was winning all the time".
The club moved from Heywood Road
Heywood Road
Heywood Road is a rugby union stadium in Sale, Greater Manchester. It has been the home ground of Sale F.C. since 1905. It was the home ground of spin-off professional club Sale Sharks until 2003, when the club moved it's matches to Edgeley Park, Stockport. It's capacity was 5,400 in 2003. Sale...
in Sale
Sale, Greater Manchester
Sale is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Trafford, in Greater Manchester, England. Historically part of Cheshire, the town lies on flat ground on the south bank of the River Mersey, south of Stretford, northeast of Altrincham, and southwest of the city of Manchester...
to Edgeley Park
Edgeley Park
Edgeley Park is an association football and rugby union stadium in Stockport, England. The stadium was initially built for the rugby league club Stockport in 1901, but by 1902, the rugby club was defunct and in the same year, Stockport County Football Club, who were looking for a bigger ground,...
in Stockport in 2003. A mixed season saw Sale win at Welford Road
Welford Road Stadium
Welford Road is a rugby union stadium in Leicester, England and is the home ground for Leicester Tigers. It is located between Aylestone Road and Welford Road on the edge of the city centre...
for the first time, and later become the first club to score six tries in a match at the same venue; progress to the final of the Powergen Cup where they were defeated 37–33 by Newcastle Falcons
Newcastle Falcons
The Newcastle Falcons is an English rugby union team currently playing in the Aviva Premiership. The club was established in 1877 and played under the name of Gosforth Football Club until 1990. The name was then changed to Newcastle Gosforth and the club began to play at Kingston Park stadium in...
; and fail to qualify for the Heineken Cup. Hanley was named the club’s "Player of the Season". Philippe Saint-André
Philippe Saint-André
Philippe Georges Saint-André is a former French rugby union footballer who earned 69 test caps for France between 1990 and 1997, 34 of them as captain. His preferred position was wing but he could also play at Fullback. After retiring, Saint-André found success as a rugby coach in both England and...
joined Sale as their coach in March 2004. Speaking in 2005 of Saint-André's effect on Sale, Hanley noted that "He has brought a lot of different ideas to the club, people have stood up and taken notice of him. He has a special interest in his wingers and has lots of good ideas and little technical things only a player who has played the class of rugby he has would know."
In the final Premiership match of the 2004/05 season, Hanley suffered a broken leg. The injury was sustained in a 22–43 defeat to London Wasps in May as Sale finished third in the league. It forced him to miss the European Challenge Cup
European Challenge Cup
The European Challenge Cup, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Amlin Challenge Cup, is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup. The cup was known as the Parker Pen Shield from 2001 to 2003 and Parker Pen Challenge Cup from 2003 to 2005. The European...
final against Pau
Section Paloise
Section Paloise is a French rugby union club from Pau in Pyrénées-Atlantiques currently competing in Rugby Pro D2, the second level of the French league system.-History:...
, although he had played in every match of the club's campaign. Sale won 27–3, their first piece of silverware since 2002. Hanley scored 15 tries in the season, nine of which were in the Premiership. Sale's back three – made up of Hanley, Mark Cueto
Mark Cueto
Mark John "Frank" Cueto is an English international rugby union player. He plays on the wing for Sale Sharks and England.-Biography:...
, and Jason Robinson
Jason Robinson
Jason Thorpe Robinson OBE is an English former international rugby union and rugby league player of the 1990s and 2000s. Playing at wing or fullback, he won fifty-one rugby union international test caps in total for England, and in rugby league he won twelve caps for Great Britain and seven for...
– scored more tries than any other club's.
There was a friendly rivalry between Hanley and fellow Sale winger Mark Cueto
Mark Cueto
Mark John "Frank" Cueto is an English international rugby union player. He plays on the wing for Sale Sharks and England.-Biography:...
to see who would finish each season as the club's leading try-scorer. Hanley recovered from his broken leg and returned to first team rugby on 17 August 2005, scoring a try in Sale's 26–23 win over Castres Olympique
Castres Olympique
Castres Olympique is a French rugby union club located in the Midi-Pyrénées city of Castres and currently competing in the top level of the French league system.Founded in 1898, the club took its current name in 1906...
in the Heineken Cup
Heineken Cup
The Heineken Cup is one of two annual rugby union competitions organised by European Rugby Cup involving leading club, regional and provincial teams from the six International Rugby Board countries in Europe whose national teams compete in the Six Nations Championship: England, France, Ireland,...
. In 2006, Hanley was named Sale's "Community Player of the Season".
Injury and retirement
During a Challenge Cup match against BayonneAviron Bayonnais
Aviron Bayonnais is a French rugby union club from Bayonne in Pyrénées-Atlantiques that currently competes in the top level of the French league system, in the Top 14 competition...
in December 2007, Hanley suffered a back injury. Unable to recover, in July 2008 he announced his retirement from rugby. In his ten-year career with Sale, he played 191 matches, scoring 104 tries. According to Hanley, "the medical advice is that I will not be able to play Premiership rugby again". He finished his career with 75 Premiership tries, a record at the time and yet to be surpassed. The following season, 2008/09, the club held a testimonial for Hanley. He commented that "For me, its been so nice to get back in touch with everybody. You play with these guys for so long and when you are in a rugby environment they are some of your best mates. But when they drift away you tend to lose contact with people so it has been brilliant to catch up with so many old friends."
He has retained connections with Sale since retiring from playing and works in club's commercial department.