The Northampton Saints Academy

Northampton Saints' Academy has long been considered the blue-print for club academies when it set up the first full-time academy in 1997 and has consistently produced players capable of playing professional rugby on a full-time basis ever since. It can measure its success by the long list of players it has produced for the club and England, most notably World Cup winning duo Steve Thompson and Ben Cohen, and more recent internationals like Dylan Hartley and Courtney Lawes.

The recent appointment of Dusty Hare as Academy recruitment and development manager and Alan Dickens as Academy manager - together with Grant Seely as Academy coach - will ensure that the Saints will continue to lead the way in the future.

The 2009/10 Saints Senior Academy

There are several tiers to the Saints academy system and over 100 young players aged between 13 and 20 receive coaching from the club, ranging from the bi-weekly Elite Player Development Groups, based in Northampton and Bury St Edmunds, to the full-time Senior Academy who train full-time at Franklin's Gardens.

In between there age groups at every year with the focus being on developing the indivdual, both on and off the field. Players are also given regular game time in the Under-16, Under-19 and Wanderers sides. Already in 2008/09 several schoolboys have played Wanderers rugby. The club believes that exposing players to a higher standard of rugby can only be beneficial to the individual himself as well as to the club.

There are nine members of the Saints Senior Academy, a senior group of rugby players that train full-time alongside the professional squad and therefore benefit from the experience of the older players and the world class skills of the Saints coaching team. Most have played for the Saints first team in 2009/10 in the LV= Anglo-Welsh Cup.

Courtney Lawes used last year's Anglo-Welsh competition as a springboard to regular selection in the club's first team, even earning the man-of-the-match award in the European Challenge Cup home tie against Montpellier. At the end of the season he starred in England Under-20's run to the IRB Junior World Championships final before being called up into the 2009/10 England Saxons squad. In November 2009 Courtney made his England debut against Australia at Twickenham.

Courtney Lawes in action against Montpellier

Other recent representative players include Phil Hoy and Joe Gray. Senior Academy scrum-half John Brake represented England in the 2007/08 IRB World Sevens Series. For the most part, they play in separate league - the 'A' League - and a number of other friendly fixtures.

The Academy fixture lists are comprehensive and include regular tournaments as well as games against top class opposition. And with the club's continuing involvement in the 'A' League the next generation of Saints players will continue to be exposed to the highest standards of rugby.

Nick Greenhalgh (left) and Liam Neale (right) in action in the Middlesex Sevens at Twickenham

The Saints Academy is sponsored by LIO and supported by the Chris Kokta Memorial Trust, Farmhouse Meats Ltd, Moulton College and the Crooked Hooker.

ACADEMY FIXTURES 2009/10