Thomas Harris

Saints Number: #611
Saints Career: 1923–1937
Appearances: 426
Position: Number 8

Career Statistics

Tries: 110
Conversions: 63
Penalties: 21
Total Points: 519

Representative Honours

East Midlands
England (2 caps)

Hall of Fame

Inducted: 2025

Tom Harris

Thomas William Walter ‘Tom’ Harris devoted almost his entire sporting life to Northampton Saints and remains one of the most durable and dependable players in Club history.

Born in Northampton, Harris played his early rugby for Barratt’s RFC before joining Saints. He made his debut against Coventry in December 1923 and over the next 14 seasons established himself as one of the cornerstones of the Club.

By the time he retired in 1937, Harris had made 426 appearances, a figure that still places him among Northampton’s leading appearance makers. Unusually for a forward, he combined physicality with a keen eye for points, scoring 110 tries and amassing 519 points. During both the 1929/30 and 1930/31 seasons he finished as the Club’s leading try scorer and most successful place-kicker.

Harris captained Saints during the 1931/32 and 1936/37 seasons and made his final appearance against Old Alleynians in April 1937. His leadership and consistency ensured he remained one of the club’s most influential figures throughout the inter-war years.

His representative career was equally impressive. Harris represented the East Midlands between 1924 and 1935, playing against the touring All Blacks in 1924 and helping defeat the touring Springboks in 1931, a result he later regarded as one of the highlights of his career. He also contributed to the East Midlands County Championship success in 1934.

At international level he earned England caps against Scotland in 1929 and Ireland in 1932. While his Test career was brief, his contribution to club and regional rugby was immense.

Away from rugby he worked in the family fruit and fish business. Harris died in 1958 at the age of just 51. His induction into the Hall of Fame in 2025 recognised a player who gave almost a decade and a half of outstanding service to Northampton Saints.

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.