Northampton Saints are delighted to confirm that Alex Mitchell has signed a new multi-year contract, extending his stay at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.
The 28-year-old scrum-half becomes the second player so far this season to recommit to the Club, continuing a remarkable journey that has seen him evolve into one of Saints’ most influential figures.
Mitchell has made just shy of 150 appearances in Black, Green and Gold since his debut in 2017, scoring 52 tries – including the decisive score that sealed Saints’ Gallagher PREM title in 2024 at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham.
His impact stretches beyond the domestic stage, with 23 England caps to date and a standout British & Irish Lions tour this summer, where he featured in all nine matchday squads and earned two Test appearances.
“Northampton Saints has been my home for the last ten seasons and there’s truly nowhere else I’d rather be playing my rugby,” said Mitchell.
“I get to come into the Club and train and play alongside lads I’ve grown up with, some of my best friends, and call it work. It’s not lost on me how lucky I am to be able to say that.”
Alex Mitchell
“This group is very special. We’re extremely ambitious, and the drive and focus within the squad to keep getting better is what makes being part of this Club so exciting. From joining the Academy as a teenager to now, the support I receive at Saints has been crucial to all my success on the pitch, so I owe a lot to the Club’s coaching staff past and present.
“I’ve made some incredible memories over the last couple of years, from winning the PREM to the final whistle in Dublin, and then getting to pull on a red shirt with the Lions over the summer. All those experiences just make you hungry to achieve more – with Saints, England and beyond.
“We feel like we’ve got to right some wrongs after last year. We want to get back to the top of the pile in the PREM, keep pushing forward in Europe, and put some more silverware in our trophy cabinet.
“There’s also no better place to play rugby than cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens. Hearing the incredible support we have in the stands and running out at home never fails to put a smile on my face. Playing in front of a full house against Leicester last weekend reminded me why signing on again with Saints was the right decision – I can’t wait for what’s ahead.”
Since becoming Saint #1979 when he came off the bench against Saracens in the PREM Rugby Cup back in 2017, Mitchell has racked up 147 appearances in a Black, Green and Gold shirt and claimed a host of accolades along the way.
Under the tutelage of Chris Boyd, he broke into Northampton’s senior side during the 2018/19 season – featuring 30 times that term as Saints reached the PREM play-offs and lifted the PREM Rugby Cup on home soil.
From there Mitchell’s rise saw him earn a senior England debut in 2021/22, as well as claiming both Saints’ Players’ Player and Supporters’ Player of the Season awards at the close of the term.
Our Magician 🪄🦁
— Northampton Saints 😇 (@SaintsRugby) July 31, 2025
Alex Mitchell is the only player to be named in every Lions 23 this tour. pic.twitter.com/cDs4Zaqvpn
The 2023/24 season marked Mitchell’s ninth with the Club, a journey that began in 2015 after initially being a part of the Sale Sharks Academy. And it proved to be the Maidstone-born back’s most successful on the Club stage – as he helped engineer Saints’ journey to the top of the Gallagher PREM table before scoring the match-winning try in the Final to see Northampton lift the Club’s first league title in a decade.
While injury hampered Mitchell’s involvement for Saints at the start of last season, a trip to Cardiff for the Investec Champions Cup Final eventually beckoned after a series of impressive performances from the scrum-half helped propel Northampton to their first European final since 2011.
For England, Mitchell has earned 23 caps to date – with over 1,000 minutes of international rugby spanning three Six Nations campaigns and a Rugby World Cup, where he became his country’s starting scrum-half as England reached the semi-finals, despite missing out on the initial squad.
And this summer Mitchell took his international career one step further when he added several coveted British & Irish Lions caps to his tally, with the tour of Australia seeing the 28-year-old named in all nine matchday squads and running out in two Test matches.
“Alex Mitchell is one of the best scrum-halves in the world, and to keep someone of his quality in our environment speaks volumes about the ambitions of this Club,” said Saints’ Director of Rugby, Phil Dowson.
“The way he plays the game, the speed that he gets the ball up, how he can identify space and then put teammates into it, his ability to open defences up by constantly challenging them, is well known.
“But we are also fortunate to see the diligence around his training, particularly his kicking game, his continued improvement in his ‘game understanding’, plus his competitive nature and coolness under pressure. To be involved in almost every game of a Lions tour is testament to that.
“The relationship he has with his teammates speaks volumes about both his character and popularity, and his desire to continue to play here and push for further honours is an indication of how close and confident the playing group is.”
Phil Dowson, Director of Rugby
“I have no doubt that Mitch will get better; in an environment where he’s coached to his best abilities, where he’s got a talented group of players around him, that’s all going to help him keep driving his game forwards. We’re thrilled to have him with us for the foreseeable future.”
