Whether it be 'A New Era', #JoinTheHunt or #CarryThemHome I am largely uninterested in the cacophony of slogans, hashtags and other marketing spiel that is currently enjoying its run of salad days as modern rugby tightens its link with social media and the digital world. And yet having attended Sale Sharks' open training day for the club's supporters last Thursday, I couldn't help but concede that the 'New Era' moniker the club is currently trying to attach to the nascent ownership group led by Simon Orange and Ged Mason, is now oddly fitting. The chasmic gap between Sale supporters and the previous ownership group on certain issues in recent years has been well-documented, as have concerns that as rugby continues to professionalise, the intimacy between player/club and paying fan has continued to erode. So perhaps the wonderfully accessible, and inclusive open training session hosted by Sale Sharks at Carrington last week is indicative that the summer of 2016 will serve as the beginning of a genuine 'New Era' for both club and supporter. After all, a club-hosted event that, for possibly the first time ever, offered complete transparency regarding the playing and coaching staff, and the club's facilities, was a resounding success amongst the 500 or so Sale-following attendees, myself included. Affording supporters the opportunity to 'peek behind the curtain' onto the training pitch and have direct access to the players - even just for a single afternoon in early August - has undeniably helped perpetuate the palpable excitement and positivity that has engulfed Sale Sharks in recent weeks. Thursday was a day unimaginable for Sale fans that have long suffered from a piecemeal, if not apathetic, top-down approach to supporter interaction (despite the best efforts of the club's social media department who were often left to bear the brunt of supporters' animosity). Should Sale maintain this newfound ethos of pellucidity towards its fans (and with similar events planned for later in the season the outlook in this regard is extremely positive), we will be able to disregard talk of a 'New Era' as being exclusively a marketing buzzword. Lost in my ramblings was my desire to express my gratitude to all involved at Sale for putting on such a wonderful afternoon. Additional ThoughtsThe following is a compilation of disparate bits of news, rumour-mongering and observations made during my time at Carrington:
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