Northampton Saints are delighted to announce that French property experts Logical Investments Options (LIO) have signed an agreement to sponsor the club’s Academy until the end of next season (2008/09).

Northampton Saints has a long tradition of bringing home-grown talent into the rugby limelight. World Cup winners Steve Thompson, Matt Dawson and Ben Cohen all learned their rugby at Franklin’s Gardens and a third of the current first team squad have come through the Academy system in the past three years.

Three members of the Saints Senior Academy, Joe Gray, James Cannon and John Brake, were members of the England Under-20 squad that won the 2008 RBS Six Nations. Brake has also been a member of this season’s England Sevens squad.

There are also several members of the Junior Saints Academy (JSA) who have represented England Under-18 and Under-16 this season.

Furthermore six members of the Senior Academy have played in the Saints’ successful National League One campaign. All of the 10 full-time professionals, and several members of the JSA, have played in the Northampton second team’s run to the Guinness ‘A’ League final.

The Saints Academy has over 100 players within it, ranging from Under-13s right up to the full-timers who train with the first team squad.

Saints’ chief executive Allan Robson said: “We’re delighted to have Logical Investment Options come on board as an Elite Sponsor, especially as they have invested in the club’s future by sponsoring our Academy. This support will help secure a strong foundation for the club.

“Director of rugby Jim Mallinder has identified that the development of young players is crucial to the long-term development of the team and is eager to entrench this in the club.”

It is this continuing development of young players that excites LIO managing director Bip Patel.

“We have already sensed the special place the club has in the heart of every supporter,” he said. “Aligning ourselves with the Academy is not only sensible from a business perspective (developing the future for Northampton people) but is probably the most important area we could have wished our money to support. We know we can offer unique and beautiful properties to Saints fans looking for an investment, a holiday home, or of course that special place from which to base their European rugby trips with the Saints and really look forward to working with the club and the Academy.”

For more information about LIO visit http://www.logicalinvestmentoptions.com/ or call 01603 813913 .