Northampton Saints’ final debutant of 2024, Henry Walker, revealed the ‘wow’ moment as his aspiration to return to the top-flight became a reality against Newcastle Falcons.
The 26-year-old hooker made 72 appearances for Gloucester over an eight-year period before being released at the end of the 2023/24 season.
He was snapped Ealing Trailfinders where he continued his rugby journey in the second-tier Championship, but Walker’s return to the Gallagher Premiership proved to be a swift one as Saints announced his signature in the second week of December, before handing him his debut from the start in the 61-0 defeat of Newcastle.
“It was amazing, the fans were amazing,” said Walker. “I heard them when we ran out, it was just like ‘wow, this is why I wanted to come back to professional rugby’. They helped us massively with the result in the end which is what we all wanted to see.
“It was a good first run out. With the score what it was, it was a great first game for myself to be here and especially for the boys.”
Henry Walker
“Like most players playing in the Championship, getting back to the Premiership was the aim for me. Ealing were very good with me, and I thanked them for everything they did for me when I left.
“They wished me the best of luck stepping back up into the Premiership, and obviously they have gone on to do well since I’ve come to Saints, beating Coventry to go top of the league.”
While the men in Black, Green and Gold were busy in a different hemisphere securing a first-ever Investec Champions Cup on South African soil against Vodacom Bulls, Walker was in Northampton getting to know some of his new teammates ahead of becoming Sainstman #2107 on Saturday at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.
“It has been a weird Christmas!”, he admitted. “About six weeks ago, Saints got in touch with me to ask whether I would be interested in signing. Of course I jumped at the opportunity and I joined the week they went to South Africa, stayed here with the group who didn’t travel, so I got to know that group, and when the others got back, I was pretty much chucked into the deep end in that way.”
