The Stockport-based club were crowned Premiership champions in 2006 but their fortunes have flagged in recent seasons and attendances at Edgeley Park have steadily fallen. The match against Irish will be played on Saturday, April 16 and will kick-off at 5.30pm, and is seen as a positive step towards marketing the club to the wider north-west sporting community. Sale attracted fewer than 8,000 spectators to their opening two home games of the season but they are targeting a 28,200-sell-out at the Reebok next spring. Sale chief executive Mick Hogan said: "This announcement is the culmination of nearly 12 months' work to enable us to announce this event. "We now have seven months to achieve a sell out crowd, and I truly believe that there are almost 30,000 people in the north-west who would like to attend a live game of Sale Sharks' rugby. "We want to show the north-west some real ambition and give the region a rugby team that they can truly be proud to support." Sale fly-half Charlie Hodgson said: "As a player, you want to be play rugby on the biggest stage. "To have the opportunity to play for Sale Sharks at one of the UK's great stadiums will be a fantastic honour for the players who are selected. "Having begun my career with the club in front of 1,800 people at Heywood Road, it's absolutely amazing to think that we will be playing a home match at a world class stadium in front of 28,200 people."
