SPINAL injuries charities will benefit from the proceeds of Sale Sharks' league game on Sunday, in tribute to the forward who suffered a traumatic injury playing the sport.

Andy Blyth was hurt playing for the Sharks against Sunday's opponents, Saracens, in March at the London club's stadium last year.

He fell awkwardly in a tackle and was taken to hospital where he was diagnosed as having a concussion of the spinal cord and given a prognosis that he was tetraplegic.

Andy Blyth has refused to accept that prognosis and is working hard to recover from his injuries.

Sunday's match will be the first time that the two clubs play for the new Blyth Spirit Challenge Shield, which Andy has donated. The shield will be awarded annually to the winner of the match between the teams at Saracens.

At Andy Blyth's request, all funds raised from the match day raffle will go to the NHS funded spinal unit at the Royal Stanmore Orthopaedic Hospital, where he spent eight months recovering from his injuries.

Charlie Hodgson could still play for the Sharks on Sunday, even though he will be on the bench for the England's match against Australia at Twickenham, where Jason Robinson is starting at full back.

In Robinson's absence, Vaughan Going is expected to play at full back, as he did against Connacht and Sale hope to play the 15 who started the Connacht match.

Saracens have picked a mainly young side that still includes the experienced Australia centre Tim Horan and former France forward Abdel Benazzi