Corpacq Stadium

Atmosphere & Experience: 4

Understandably, it seems many people are unprepared to make the tortuous journey out to the back of beyond. It’s disappointing because Sale’s team features a host of England stalwarts who play an entertaining style of rugby. At the game I visited for, the attendance of approx. 4,500 people meant the stadium only around 40% full. Swathes of empty seats were visible in the east stand and the two standing terraces at either end of the ground were only sparsely populated. It’s very difficult to create much of an atmosphere with hardly anyone around to make noise. The small band at the front of the south terrace make an effort, playing the infamous two-note Jaws theme music whenever the Sharks approach the try line, but it’s not enough to get the crowd going. You’ll also be confined to one corner of the ground once you’ve gone through the turnstiles. Not that it matters because there’s an identikit burger van and bar in each quadrant. The fan village outside the stadium is a nice enough spot to pass some time ahead of the match, with live music and appearances from Sharks players. But, overall, everything is just a little flat and lifeless.

Seats: 7

I paid approximately £50 for a seat on the 22 in the main west stand. The seat was fairly cramped, with limited legroom, but the view was unobstructed. Tickets closer the halfway line in this stand are around £58, while the smaller east stand has cheaper seats ranging from £43-£48 as you approach halfway from either try line. There are standing terraces at either end of the ground, with tickets for the north stand slightly cheaper at £33 compared to £36 at the south end. Note that, despite its higher price tag, the main stand is likely to be fuller and more atmospheric than the others.

Catering: 2

There is a very limited selection of food available. Several versions of the same burger van are dotted around the ground, and the selection of beer and food is repeated at each of the bars once you’re inside. If you’re the sort of person who likes to try a local beer when they visit a new stadium, do yourself a favour in this instance and don’t. The Corpacq’s bars offer J.W. Lees Original Lager, which is only original in the sense that its creators clearly got together and said, ‘Wouldn’t it be novel if, instead of actually making beer, we mixed dirty dishwater and beaver urine, called it beer, and charged captive audience idiots like £7 for it?’ Outside the ground, in the fan village, you can try beer from Bach 95 (which, coming from Sandbach, isn’t actually local). But just because you can try something doesn’t mean you should. And, here, you really shouldn’t. These beverages, with reduced calories and no gluten, are marketed as ‘modern beers for active people’ and are as flavourless and unappealing as all the words in this sentence up to now suggest. Just drink Guinness. And eat before you go because the food is equally unpleasant.

Facilities: 6

If the stands were full, you’d expect to have to wait for most of the halftime interval and to be unable to get a beer before the start of the second period. Since relatively few people can be bothered to trek to a motorway bypass in the middle of nowhere for the rugby, you most likely won’t encounter this problem and will instead get into some reasonably clean bathrooms without having to wait too long.

Getting There: 3

Where even is the Corpacq? It’s definitely not in Sale. It’s no in Salford, or Eccles. It’s kind of near the Trafford Centre, but not really. Want to get there from central Manchester on public transport? You can expect it to take about an hour, and to require some combination of tram, train, bus, and walk along a motorway. If you’re coming from Sale, it’ll also take roughly an hour and take a couple of buses. There are shuttle buses available from Altrincham, Sale, the Trafford Centre, Stockport, the Shudehill Interchange, and the LSE Park & Ride. A return fare will cost between £1 (for the relatively nearby Trafford Centre) and £15 (for the LSE Park & Ride at the Northbank Industrial Estate, where you can park your car).

Getting Away: 2

Following the same route you took to get to the Corpacq in reverse is likely to take longer post-match as you queue for buses/trains/trams. If you’re attending an evening game, be prepared to get back into town late.

Weekend Potential: 5

There are many reasons to visit the Greater Manchester area, including multiple, iconic sporting arenas. Sadly, the Corpacq is not one of those great stadiums. It’s not near anything, certainly not anywhere that you’d want to get food or a few drinks before the match. It’ll take you an hour to get there from the centre of Manchester, and slightly longer still from Sale itself, meaning a large chunk of game day will be spent commuting to and from the ground and not enjoying the sights and sounds of Manchester or Sale. Save a sporting visit to Manchester for one of the bigger, better stadiums and leave the Corpacq closer to the bottom of your away trip checklist. While we’re here, though, do visit Sale. Enjoy a walk along the canal, get some delicious food at Dosa Kingss (no idea what the second ‘s’ is about), and have a beer at Hops & Boogie.