Saints Number: #1307
Saints Career: 1963-1978
Appearances: 370
Position: Prop

Career Statistics

Tries: 27
Total Points: 81

Representative Honours

East Midlands
England (11 caps)
Barbarians
British & Irish Lions (1966 Australia & New Zealand)

Hall of Fame

Inducted: 2004

David Powell

Few individuals have contributed more to Northampton Saints, both on and off the field, than David ‘Piggy’ Powell. A formidable front-row forward, influential captain and long-serving groundsman, his association with Franklin’s Gardens spans more than half a century.

Born in Warwickshire on 17 May 1942, Powell arrived at Saints via Long Buckby and Rugby. At the beginning of the 1965/66 season he was still on the fringes of first-team selection, but a shoulder injury to Roger Turnell opened the door. Powell seized his opportunity, scoring three tries in October alone and forcing his way into the side.

His performances quickly attracted national attention. He made his England debut against Wales at Twickenham in January 1966 and, despite limited international experience, was selected as the only English forward on the 1966 British & Irish Lions tour of Australia and New Zealand.

It was on that Lions tour that he acquired the nickname that would stay with him for life. Rooming alongside Denzil ‘Porky’ Williams, their accommodation became known as ‘The Sty’, and Powell inevitably became ‘Piggy’.

Powell’s work ethic was legendary. Raised on a farm, he had developed his fitness through running hills in heavy boots, and he brought that same mentality to Northampton when he became the Club’s 40th captain in 1967/68. He led Saints for five seasons, inspiring a powerful forward-oriented side and missing just three matches during his first campaign as skipper.

His England career yielded 11 caps, but it was at club level where he truly made his mark. Across 370 appearances, he became one of Northampton’s most respected figures and later returned to coach the team during the 1980s.

Many supporters also remember Powell as the long-serving guardian of Franklin’s Gardens. For more than 20 years he maintained one of the finest playing surfaces in English rugby, becoming almost as famous for the immaculate pitch as for his exploits in a Saints shirt.

A Life Achievement Award recipient and Hall of Fame inductee, Powell remains one of the most enduring and recognisable figures in Northampton Saints history.

Hall of Fame profiles have been researched and compiled, with the Club’s grateful thanks, by the volunteers of Northampton Saints Foundation’s Heritage Department – whose work helps preserve and share the rich history of Northampton Saints.