Ian Hunter

Saints Number: #1582
Saints Career: 1988-1998
Appearances: 155
Position: Fullback / Wing

Career Statistics

Tries: 44
Conversions: 17
Penalties: 12
Drop Goals: 1
Total Points: 205

Representative Honours

East Midlands
England
Barbarians
British & Irish Lions (1993 New Zealand)

Hall of Fame

Inducted: 2022

Ian Hunter

Ian Hunter belongs to an exclusive group of Northampton Saints players who combined a long club career with honours for both England and the British & Irish Lions.

Equally comfortable at fullback or on the wing, Hunter arrived at Franklin’s Gardens from Nottingham in 1988 and spent the next decade as an important member of Saints’ backline. During a period of significant change for the sport, he made 155 appearances and scored 44 tries while regularly contributing points with the boot.

Hunter’s time at Saints coincided with the emergence of a talented generation that included Paul Grayson, Matt Dawson, Nick Beal, Tim Rodber, Martin Bayfield and Gregor Townsend. Together, they helped establish Northampton among the leading clubs in English rugby.

International recognition arrived in 1992. Hunter won his first England cap against Canada, scoring two tries in a 26-13 victory. In doing so, he became the first player ever to score an international try at Wembley Stadium. He would go on to win further England honours and represented his country at the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

Another career highlight came with selection for the 1993 British & Irish Lions tour of New Zealand. Unfortunately, the opportunity was cruelly cut short when he suffered a dislocated shoulder in the opening fixture against North Auckland, forcing his return home. Recurring shoulder injuries continued to hamper his career and arguably prevented him from achieving even greater honours.

Following retirement, Hunter remained closely connected to the Club as a BBC Radio Northampton summariser, providing expert analysis of Saints matches and helping keep supporters connected to the team.

His Hall of Fame induction in 2022 recognised a player whose pace, versatility and resilience made him a key figure during an important era 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.