Sale Sharks have confirmed that they will depart Edgeley Park for the Salford City Stadium in the summer.
The Aviva Premiership side have decided to abandon their ground of nine seasons for a new home, which will be shared with Blue Square Premiership team Stockport County from next season.
Sharks co-owner Ian Blackhurst told the club's official website: "This is a tremendous move for Sale Sharks, and the first-class facilities at the Salford City Stadium will provide a great platform as we aim to become one of the top club rugby union sides in Europe.
"We believe that more supporters, sponsors and corporate guests will be attracted by the modern and comfortable surroundings that the new stadium offers. The more we grow our support base, the more we can invest in the team and our support programmes, and this investment will give us a greater chance of success.
"Edgeley Park has been a real home from home for us since 2003. However, despite it being a really iconic ground, it continues to fail the Professional Game Board's Minimum Standards Criteria, resulting in considerable additional expense via fines and upgrade work."
The Salford City ground holds a capacity of 12,000 spectators.
Danielle Joynson
