Summer signing, Leftheri Zigiriadis, is looking forward to enjoying the full Northampton Saints experience as he begins his first season with the men in Black, Green and Gold.
The 24-year-old prop, who also goes by ‘Lefty’, arrived at Franklin’s Gardens with the rest of the squad at the end of July and is now ripping into pre-season in Northampton colours having made the switch from CHAMP finalists Ealing Trailfinders over the summer.
“I’ve only done a few weeks of preseason, so I really want to earn my stripes and keep going,” he said.
“It’s a very, very good environment with the boys in the changing room, the guys are very relaxed. Guys can just be themselves, which is the most important thing.
Zigiriadis is no stranger to the Gardens turf, having already run out in Northampton in early 2025, where he crossed the whitewash for Ealing in the PREM Rugby Cup quarter-final that term.
On that fixture against Saints, he added: “I remember I was nervous on the day, before that we had been on a very good run.
“That game was a good one, and it was one of my better performances, so it was ideal that it happened then. The atmosphere was unreal too.
“I also watched some games at Franklin’s Gardens last year. The atmosphere when I came here as a supporter was unreal.
“I came to the Bristol game that Saints won 94-33, so that was a good one! I was just thinking ‘this is fast rugby, big guys move quickly’.”
Zigiriadis – who arrived in Northampton alongside fellow former Trailfinder Josh Taylor – is joining a Saints front row brimming with international calibre, such as newly capped England international Emmanuel Iyogun, as well as Italian Danilo Fischetti who has over 60 caps for his country.
“They’re some of the best props in the world,” said Zigiriadis. “If you’re around guys who are the best, it can only uplift you.
“It will be good to learn from them and compete with them. I’m just fully looking forward to buying into the team and the culture off the pitch.
“I want to be myself, really. It’s one step at a time, and I’m just taking it week by week, game by game, and whatever comes, comes.”