Dowson renews contract with Saints

Posted on Jan 14, 2011 in Rugby News

Northampton Saints today announced that Phil Dowson has renewed his commitment to the club by signing a new contract.

Dowson, 29, has been at Franklin’s Gardens since the summer of 2009. After racking up 128 appearances at former club Newcastle his tally of outings in the black, green and gold has risen quickly and he is just three appearances away from the 50 mark, and the Saints club cap that comes with it.

Dowson, who has shown his prowess in all three back row positions during his time in Northampton, has also doubled his try scoring strike rate while at the club. At Newcastle he scored 16 tries; at Saints he has crossed the whitewash eight times in a third as many games.

His consistent excellence in 2009/10 led to a selection in the Sky Sports Dream Team and nominations in the short lists for both the Guinness Premiership Player of the Season and RPA Players’ Player of the Season.

He will also go down in club history as the first player to lift a domestic trophy. Dowson leads the team regularly while club captain Dylan Hartley is on international duty, and he skippered the Saints to a 30-24 win over Gloucester to lift the 2010 LV= Cup last March.

Dowson had no hesitation in signing a new contract at the Saints and believes that the team is still on an upward curve with the best still to come.

“I wanted to stay and the club seemed pretty keen for me to stay, so it was a no brainer really,” he said. “I’ve had a brilliant two years here so far and I wanted to stay involved. Highlights last season were playing in the Heineken Cup quarter final, whatever the result, playing well in the Premiership and the confidence and belief in the guys around you. And the LV= Cup final, obviously. I thought that Northampton was the best place to come to win things and we achieved that in the LV= Cup and it was a privilege to be captain that day.

“The first impression of the club and the environment was the big thing for me and there is more to come. We set high standards, which come from the top, and the quality of the squad shows that we need to be ambitious. The last couple of weeks have showed that we’re not quite there yet and we’re striving to improve continuously. Off the field things have been good as well. The lads spend a lot of time together, and while we get worked hard there is a good balance in what we do.

“To be playing at a club that is well supported through thick and thin is great. The fans are very fair, and it is one of the places in the country that gives the man of the match to someone who deserves it no matter which team they’re playing for. It is a true rugby club that I’m proud to be a part of.”

Director of rugby Jim Mallinder is delighted that Dowson is staying at the club for the foreseeable future.

“Phil has been an excellent addition to our squad in the year-and-a-half he has been at Franklin’s Gardens so far,” he said. “He quickly became one of the senior players in the squad and shows his leadership skills on and off the pitch. He is also a very talented player who fits into the style of play we try to achieve here, with pace, power and good skill with the ball in hand.

“I’m delighted that he has decided to stay at the Saints and believes in where we are taking the club. We are still growing as a team and I’m confident that Phil will continue to contribute fully to our development.”

Saints front row sign new contracts

Posted on Dec 13, 2010 in Rugby News

Northampton Saints today announced that front rowers Brian Mujati and Brett Sharman have both signed new contracts with the club.

Both players have made massive contributions to the Saints since their arrivals at Franklin’s Gardens.

Tight-head prop Mujati has been one of the standout performers during 2010, his contributions in the set piece and in the loose leading to the cult cheer of ‘Moo for Mooj’ among the Saints supporters.

Mujati, 26, has 38 appearances and four tries to his name, adding to his 12 South African international caps won before arriving in Northampton, and is looking forward to wearing the black, green and gold on many more occasions.

“I’ve been made to feel very welcome by everyone at the club and in the town,” he said. “I’m certainly happy to sign on again with the Saints. We have had some success but we’re still improving as a squad and I’m sure that there will be more to come in the near future.”

23-year-old English qualified hooker Sharman is another player who could reach 50 appearances this season. So far he has racked up 45 in just over two years at Franklin’s Gardens, and won man of the match in the Saints’ Aviva Premiership Rugby win over Newcastle at the end of October.

“It was a very easy decision to sign again,” he said. “The club’s going in the right direction and I want to be a part of that in the future. The coaches have taught me a lot since I’ve been here and it seems to be paying off now, and hopefully this will continue in the future.

“The people at the club have been great and my girlfriend and I are settled in the town, especially now we’ve bought a house. Northampton is a rugby-crazy town which is good to live in and I’ve made a lot of mates here. It is also one of the best crowds to play in front of. They’re behind you every step of the way and it drives you to perform.”

Director of rugby Jim Mallinder said he was delighted that both players had signed new contracts with the club.

“It is massively important that we have a squad full of quality and Brian and Brett have showed they have what it takes to compete at the top end of the Premiership,” he said. “They have both improved a lot as players over the past year, and their performances reflect the work they have put in off the field. But they are still young men and we believe they have their best years in front of them, and we’re delighted that they will be spending them at Franklin’s Gardens.”

Murray leaves the Saints

Posted on Dec 13, 2010 in Rugby News

Northampton Saints today announced that Euan Murray has left the club by mutual consent.

Murray, 30, joined the Saints after the 2007 Rugby World Cup. In his three years at Franklin’s Gardens he played 61 times for the Saints, including in the 2009 European Challenge Cup final, scored two tries and represented the club on the 2009 British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa.

He leaves the club with immediate effect and with director of rugby Jim Mallinder wishing him the best for the future.

“Euan is a big personality and has helped the club become competitive again at the top end of the Premiership and in Europe,” he said. “He has played well for us and we have enjoyed having him here at Franklin’s Gardens. We wish him all the best for the future.”

“I’ve enjoyed playing at Franklin’s Gardens in front of its great supporters and I will take a lot of happy memories with me,” said Murray. “I wish everyone at Franklin’s Gardens all the best for the future.”

Saints team vs London Irish

Posted on Nov 26, 2010 in Rugby News

Northampton Saints have named the team for tomorrow night’s sold out Aviva Premiership Rugby Round 9 clash against London Irish.

The two teams are dominating the Aviva Premiership Rugby league table and scoring charts as the competition edges ever closer to the half-way stage, and unsurprisingly Friday’s game has seen Franklin’s Gardens be declared ‘full’ days in advance.

Director of rugby Jim Mallinder says that it is a big game for the club and that London Irish should be treated with plenty of respect.

“Top-of-the-table clashes are always big games, but these are the games that we want to be involved in as they show we are heading in the right direction,” he said. “It will be a challenging evening for us. London Irish have been playing some good rugby this season and deserve their position at the top end of the league table.

“Their forwards and midfielders have been carrying the ball powerfully and their strike runners out wide have been scoring plenty of tries. We will certainly have to be focused right from the first whistle if we want a positive result.”

Mallinder also thanked the fans for filling Franklin’s Gardens in advance.

“The fans have really made their presence felt this season for the big matches, and it matters a lot to the players and coaches that the stadium is already sold out,” he added.

If you haven’t got your ticket for Friday night’s game you can still follow the action in a number of ways. The Saints’ official Facebook page will continue with exclusive match blogs, score updates will be posted every 10 minutes on www.twitter.com/SaintsRugby – which supporters can also access from their mobile phone – while Sky Sports 3 will have coverage from 7:30pm.

You can watch Roger Wilson’s match preview right now on www.PremiershipRugby.tv

NORTHAMPTON SAINTS TEAM TO PLAY LONDON IRISH
Aviva Premiership Rugby Round 9
Franklin’s Gardens
Friday, November 26th, 2010
Kick off 7:45pm
15 Greig Tonks
14 Jamie Elliott
13 Jon Clarke
12 James Downey
11 Paul Diggin
10 Stephen Myler
9 Ryan Powell
1 Soane Tonga’uiha
2 Brett Sharman
3 Brian Mujati
4 Mark Sorenson
5 Christian Day
6 Phil Dowson (capt)
7 Tom Wood
8 Roger Wilson

Replacements
16 Andy Long
17 Regardt Dreyer
18 Tom Mercey
19 Calum Clark
20 Mark Easter
21 Stuart Commins
22 Shane Geraghty
23 Bruce Reihana

Saints “delighted” with full houses

Posted on Sep 23, 2010 in Rugby News

Northampton Saints chief executive Allan Robson says that he is delighted with how the club’s supporters have reacted to the start of the Aviva Premiership Rugby season.

Franklin’s Gardens has had the ‘Sold Out’ signs hung outside it for both of the opening two home matches of the season, against Leicester Tigers and Bath in Rounds 1 and 3 respectively.

And Robson says that the capacity crowds, which are in contrast to the recent press coverage of Aviva Premiership Rugby attendances, reflect the hard work being done at the club on and off the field, as well as the excitement felt by the Saints fans.

“At the moment we are in a virtuous circle that reflects the work being put in by all departments at the Saints,” he commented. “Jim Mallinder and the coaches have the team playing an exciting brand of rugby, and the players have put in a massive amount of effort to win our first three games, two of which were against our fellow semi-finalists last season.

“We knew before the start of the season that we had nigh-on record numbers of season tickets sold. Despite this there are still a few thousand tickets to sell every weekend and our marketing and Community teams have worked very hard to make sure that these tickets are sold.

“We have established strong partnerships with our local media and through schemes like CashBack our Community team are able to give local rugby clubs, schools and charitable organisations the opportunity to earn money by coming to watch the Saints play. This scheme continues to go from strength to strength, with hundreds of people coming every game.

“So we are certainly not resting on our laurels, and although we are delighted with the way the Northampton public has responded to us we are working hard to try and make sure that Franklin’s Gardens is full for our next home game against Exeter in two weeks’ time. The atmosphere for our two home matches so far has been outstanding and players and coaches throughout the country say that it makes the Gardens an intimidating place for opposition teams to play.

“And maintaining our capacity crowds is an excellent way to demonstrate to the relevant authorities the benefits of allowing the Saints to expand the stadium in the responsible manner we prefer.”