Roger Horwood
Roger Horwood
Saints Number: #1259
Saints Career: 1958-1975
Appearances: 209
Position: Hooker
Career Statistics
Tries: 9
Total Points: 27
Official Roles
Management Committee Member
Club Secretary
Club President
Board Member
Honorary Life Member
Hall of Fame
Inducted: 2018
Roger Horwood
Roger Horwood’s contribution to Northampton Saints extends far beyond his achievements as a player. Few individuals have done more to secure the Club’s long-term future.
A hooker by trade, Horwood made more than 200 appearances over a 17-year playing career, despite losing two seasons to National Service with the Royal Air Force. Tough and dependable in the front row, he was a respected member of the Saints pack throughout the 1960s and early 1970s.
However, it was after his playing days that Horwood arguably had his greatest impact. Through countless fundraising events organised in the old Sturtridge Pavilion, he helped generate the resources that ultimately enabled Northampton Saints to purchase Franklin’s Gardens and secure the Club’s future at its historic home.
Horwood was also one of the influential ‘Gang of Seven’ responsible for the changes that transformed Saints during the late 1980s. He subsequently played a key role in guiding the Club through the transition into professionalism, serving on the management committee before becoming Club Secretary, President and later a board member.
His commitment to preserving the Club’s heritage was equally significant. In 1989 he worked alongside Mick Roper and Mike Warrington to establish the Crooked Hooker, originally formed as the Past Players Association before evolving into the Club’s official former players’ organisation and members’ bar.
Named an Honorary Life Member in 2001, Horwood’s contribution to Northampton Saints spans more than half a century. His induction into the Hall of Fame in 2018 recognised a man whose influence helped shape both the Club’s history and its future.
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.