And the passion and knowledge of Saints' supporters has impressed new director of rugby Jim Mallinder.

Mallinder, and forwards coach Dorian West, faced the fans in a half-hour open forum as part of the Saints’ Open Day at Franklin’s Gardens yesterday.

“It was obvious how much the supporters care about the club’s future,” said Mallinder. “They are a knowledgeable group as well and asked some challenging questions about the season ahead and the sport in general. They certainly made Dorian and myself think a lot!

“Their commitment and passion is impressive and it was fantastic to meet so many supporters yesterday.”

Supporters were treated to an open training session from the Saints squad, open forums with the coaching and Academy staff, autograph sessions and tag rugby games with members of the Saints Senior Academy.

Pictures from the Open Day can be seen in the Photo Gallery.

The Saints pre-season begins on Sunday, August 19th, when Samoa come to Franklin’s Gardens as part of their warm-up for the World Cup. Harlequins are the next visitors on Saturday, August 25th, and the National League 1 campaign kicks off on Saturday, September 1st against London Welsh. All matches kick off at 3pm.