At 6’7” and 120kg, lock Chunya Munga was a player who had long since been on Northampton Saints’ radar before joining the Club from London Irish ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
Heading into the run-in of his third season, Munga made his 50th appearance in Black, Green Gold in the Gallagher PREM victory over Saracens at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in March 2026.
The former England Under-18s and Under-20s player has led Saints as captain during PREM Rugby Cup games, with his mature and responsible conduct catching the eye of Director of Rugby, Phil Dowson.
Munga arrived at Franklin’s Gardens after nearly a decade at London Irish, who he joined as a 14-year-old before progressing through their Academy and making his debut against Bristol Bears in the 2019/20 PREM Rugby Cup, before starting on his PREM debut against Saracens later that season.
In his last full season with the Exiles, Munga went up against his current employers on three occasions and was on the winning side each time - and was a try scorer during the league meeting at the Gtech Community Stadium in March 2023, which would prove to be the last time the sides went head-to-head before London Irish entered into administration in June 2023.