Northampton Saints today confirm that Jake Garside, Charlie Savala, Callum Hunter-Hill, Ewan Baker, Nathan Langdon, Toby Cousins, Beltus Nonleh, Tom Dye, Louis Haley, Henry Nanka-Bruce and Kieran Perkins will leave the Club at the conclusion of the 2024/25 season.
The group have 49 appearances between them in Black, Green and Gold, and will move on to pastures new this summer.
“This is always a bittersweet time of year for the squad,” said Director of Rugby, Phil Dowson. “Alongside the excitement for the end of the season, we will soon welcome in the new Academy cohort, whilst at the same time we know that a number of players will depart our playing group.
“We always speak about our connection as a team, and the importance of the contribution of the entire squad to the performances we put out on the pitch.
“All the players here at Saints want to pull on the Black, Green and Gold jersey every weekend, and that is obviously not possible, but every member of the squad has had a Saints-first attitude throughout the season and has been completely committed to preparing the team to perform at the highest level.
“This group of departing players is very special; the coaches are very proud of them and thank them for all their efforts during their time as Saints men – we’ll wish them all the best for the future at the end of the season, but for now, we’ve got two Gallagher Premiership matches and of course the Investec Champions Cup final to prepare for.”
All of the Club’s departing players will be recognised after this Saturday’s game against Saracens, as part of the annual leavers’ ceremony following the final home match of the season. For more information please CLICK HERE.
CHARLIE SAVALA
Saint #2087, 15 apps, 23 points
Initially arriving on loan from Edinburgh Rugby in November 2023, Savala featured four times in his first season in Black, Green and Gold before penning a permanent deal to remain at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens at the end of the 2023/24 season.
Born in Sydney, Australia, Savala began his career in rugby’s other code – playing in Sydney Roosters’ academy before switching to union and moving to Scotland in 2020, where he would go on to make 33 appearances for Edinburgh.
Savala made the switch to centre at the start of the current campaign, making his most appearances in a single season for Saints this term as he featured 11 times, and scored a hat-trick against Nottingham Rugby in the Premiership Rugby Cup.
The 25-year-old’s time in a Northampton shirt was cut short earlier this season by a knee injury sustained at Newcastle Falcons, meaning his last match in Black, Green and Gold was that clash in Round 14 of the Gallagher Premiership.
JAKE GARSIDE
Saint #2051, 15 apps, 15 points
Garside hails from the Norfolk coastline and previously represented Norwich School and Wymondham RFC, having also joined the Saints Academy set-up initially at Under-14s level, before signing on with the Senior Academy ahead of the 2021/22 season.
The back announced himself on the professional stage with a try-scoring debut against Newcastle Falcons in the Premiership Rugby Cup in his first season at the Club.
Garside’s Premiership debut followed in 2022/23 when he made four appearances, before four more appearances and another try came in 2023/24.
This season, Garside switched scrum-half for wing and has featured in six of Saints’ outings so far – adding another try to his tally at Exeter Chiefs last weekend.
CALLUM HUNTER-HILL
Saint #2093, 7 apps
Linking up with Saints at the start of the current campaign, Callum Hunter-Hill arrived in Northampton with a wealth of Premiership experience – having made 81 appearances for Saracens.
Born in Melrose, Hunter-Hill progressed through the Glasgow Warriors academy and made his competitive senior debut in 2016. Hunter-Hill spent time on loan at London Scottish before switching permanently to Edinburgh in 2017. During his spell in the Scottish capital, he also tasted English rugby on loan at Newcastle Falcons.
After an initial loan season at Saracens in 2019/20, Hunter-Hill headed south permanently and became a matchday squad regular, an picked up a Premiership winners’ medal as he helped Saracens defeat Sale Sharks in the 2022/23 Premiership Final.
The lock’s time at Saints has unfortunately been plagued by injuries, restricting his appearances in Black, Green and Gold to seven to date.
EWAN BAKER
Saint #2076, 4 apps, 5 points
A graduate of Saints’ Academy, Ewan Baker joined Northampton’s full-time set-up at the start of the 2023/24 season – switching from fly-half to fullback in his first season in professional rugby.
The former Stowe School and Daventry RFC back became Saint #2076 as he made his senior debut in the opening clash of the 2023/24 season, starting as Northampton faced Ealing Trailfinders in the Premiership Rugby Cup.
That was to be the fullback’s only appearance in Saints’ Premiership title-winning campaign, with Baker’s next appearance coming in this year’s Premiership Rugby Cup competition.
Baker marked that appearance with his first score in Black, Green and Gold before going on to make his Gallagher Premiership debut at Exeter Chiefs last weekend.
NATHAN LANGDON
Saint #2099, 4 apps
Nathan Langdon signed on with Northampton Saints ahead of the 2024/25 season, following brother Curtis to cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens after having impressed at Sale FC since graduating from Loughborough University.
Langdon featured for Loughborough Students in National League 2 West and BUCS Super Rugby whilst studying for a Sport and Exercise Science degree – with the hooker also making his Premiership Rugby Cup debut during his studies while on loan at Leicester Tigers in 2022.
After graduating, Langdon made the switch to Sale FC and played 20 times for the National League 1 side. While there he would make two further appearances in the Premiership Rugby Cup – this time for Sale Sharks – before making his Gallagher Premiership debut for the Salford-based side against Exeter in Round 3 of the 2023/24 season.
Langdon has made four appearances in Black, Green and Gold to date, debuting against Leicester Tigers in the Premiership Rugby Cup before adding a Premiership appearance against Saracens at Christmas.
TOBY COUSINS
Saint #2104, 2 apps, 5 points
Toby Cousins signed on for Northampton Saints’ Senior Academy ahead of the 2023/24 season after impressing through the Club‘s Academy pathway.
Joining the Academy as an Under-12, Cousins has been capped at multiple levels for England and was selected for the Under-20s’ squad for the 2023 Six Nations – despite being two years below most of the players in the competition.
More international honours followed for Cousins in 2024, as the winger travelled to South Africa to represent England at the World Rugby Under-20 Championship.
Cousins’ first appearance in Black, Green and Gold came in this season’s Premiership Rugby Cup, scoring a try on debut at Nottingham Rugby, before earning his Premiership debut at Exeter Chiefs last weekend.
BELTUS NONLEH
Saints #2108, 2 apps
Beltus Nonleh joined Northampton Saints from Sedgley Park ahead of the 2023/24 season having been one of the standout performers that term as the Tigers romped to the National League Two North title.
The tighthead prop – who moved to the UK from Cameroon in 2008 – begun his rugby career at Rochdale and represented both Lancashire and North of England at age group level before stepping up the ladder to Sedgley Park, and Nonleh was named National League Two North tighthead of the season for the 2022/23 campaign.
Nonleh made his first appearance in Black, Green and Gold this season, coming off the bench against Coventry in the Premiership Rugby Cup before featuring against Nottingham Rugby a week later.
TOM DYE
0 apps
Beginning his rugby career at Bury St Edmunds RFC, prop Tom Dye joined Saints’ DPP as a 13-year-old and signed his first professional contract to join Northampton’s Senior Academy ahead of the 2024/25 season.
Dye’s performances for Saints earned him an international call-up, earning a selection to England Under-18s’ 2024 Six Nations squad, before the prop was named in England’s Under-20 EPS squad this term at just 18 years old.
LOUIS HALEY
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Former Bedford Junior Blues player and Stowe School captain Louis Haley signed on for Northampton Saints’ Senior Academy ahead of the 2024/25 season.
The fly-half was a vital cog in Saints’ side throughout the 2023/24 Academy League campaign, with his kicking efforts from the tee and out of hand helping Northampton to a third straight Academy League final that term.
HENRY NANKA-BRUCE
0 apps
Back rower Henry Nanka-Bruce signed on for Northampton Saints’ Senior Academy ahead of the 2024/25 season, balancing duties at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens alongside studying at Nottingham Trent University.
Born in Norwich, Nanka-Bruce studied at the Brooksby Campus of the SMB College Group in Melton Mowbray – where his rugby caught the attention of Leicester Tigers’ Academy.
Originally a winger, the 18-year-old transitioned into the back row during his college studies, and featured for Leicester’s Under-18s side in the Premiership Rugby U18s Academy League in that position in 2023/24, before signing his first professional contract with Saints the following summer.
KIERAN PERKINS
0 apps
Back rower Kieran Perkins has been a part of Saints’ age-group set up since the age of 14, and signed on with Northampton’s Senior Academy ahead of the 2024/25 season.
A former student of Bedford Modern School, Perkins combined his A-level studies with playing for Olney RFC and Saints’ Under-18s.
During that period, the 18-year-old would help Saints reach the Academy League Final in 2023, and after a trial period signed his first professional contract with the Club alongside studying at Nottingham University.
