Nick James on being Sharks' unsung hero in their top-four charge

When Rhona Lloyd was asked who her player of the match was after Sale Sharks’ victory over Loughborough Lightning there was no hesitation.

“Obviously the same as it is every single game, Nick James. Always Nick James. 80 minutes week after week, never complains. Love that woman,” came her response.

Prop James is a familiar face at Morson Stadium, where she is now in her fifth season and still putting regularly long stints in as part of the front row.

The 37-year-old has been a key feature of a Sharks side that have pulled off something of a resurgence this season to win four consecutive games and put them firmly in reach of a Premiership Women’s Rugby semi-final spot.

In many ways she has been the reluctant hero at prop, playing out the full 80 minutes in some gruelling performances while remaining as humble as ever.

“I don’t think I want to [play the full 80], but I will do it,” she said.

“I’m happy to do what the team needs, if it’s what the team needs but I also know the talent that is behind me, so I don’t take it lightly.

“There’s never been a game where I thought who would come on and take my space was going to do worse than me. So, I’m playing every minute hoping I can do good enough until they come on.”

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James originally made the move across the Atlantic from her native Unites States in 2021 alongside fellow Eagle Katana Howard.

In that time Sharks have undergone extensive change, with summer 2025 bringing with it substantial turnover and investment in the players.

Scottish international and James superfan Lloyd was one such new face who was joined by fellow Scots Eva Donaldson and Evie Wills, in addition to the arrivals of Red Roses Holly Aitchison and Amy Cokayne among others.

It is a change James has followed from struggling to get off the bottom of the table to now be challenging towards the top.

“It’s very rewarding. It’s been a privilege to be here for that long and to see the growth of the club and the individuals involved,” she said.

“We have hit a spot this year where we have a very good balance of experience and staff and knowledge with the right players and culture.

“We could definitely feel that we were building into something bigger this summer. It’s nice to see the rewards of that now.

“Scoring four tries was a very difficult for us last season. The fact that has become a non-negotiable for us and a standard we expect of ourselves is huge.”

Sharks now sit just two points behind that fourth-place spot that would earn them a semi-final berth, with their two closest challengers – Harlequins and Trailfinders Women – facing each other this weekend.

Up next for the Greater Manchester side is a home fixture against Bristol Bears where they will look to exact revenge for an agonising 30-29 defeat in the reverse fixture in February.

For James, it will be an ability to take each game as it comes that will define their hopes of reaching the play-offs for the first time in their history.

“It’s harder this year [to take it one game at a time] than it has been previously, because that hasn’t been an issue previously,” she said.

“It’s just reminding ourselves of the very real threat that Bristol presents and if we give them an inch, they’ll take it.

“So, knowing that we have the competition, we have the team that can do it, we just have to do our job. We’ve seen what happens when we don’t and we don’t want to fall into that again.”

It is a psychology that will separate winners from the rest, but Sale Sharks also have another mentality in their arsenal to draw on when the going gets tough.

Their unique position as the only northern club in the PWR provides an extra galvanising factor in their bid to enter the top four and James has embraced that fully since arriving.

“The northern grit is truly special. It is one of a kind and I love that I’m part of a team where that’s their identity,” she said.

“I can really get behind that. Coming from the States, I played in a league where we had two teams in the state and then our next closest travel was 16 hours away, so I can commiserate that we’re far away from everybody.”

And having stayed for the long haul and embraced the culture, James could add to that five-year journey in the perfect way come the semi-finals on the 14th June.

“It would be a full circle moment. For the number of times that we were near the bottom of the table to now even be middle of the table and looking at the potential of a top four finish would be huge,” said James.

“So many people here have worked hard and deserve it. Just to see them earn what they’ve deserved what they’ve worked towards all this time would be huge.”