Northampton Saints re-sign Angus Scott-Young

Angus Scott-Young will remain at Northampton Saints beyond the current season, with the Club today confirming that the back row has penned a new deal.

The 26-year-old arrived at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens from Queensland Reds ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, and quickly made himself a mainstay of Northampton’s side – notching up some 40 appearances since debuting in Black, Green and Gold at Sale Sharks 18 months ago.

Scott-Young is delighted to be remaining a part of the playing group that currently sits at the top of the Gallagher Premiership, with the abrasive flanker highlighting his teammates and the environment in Northampton as key factors behind signing on for more with Saints.

“It was a pretty straightforward decision for me to stay at the Club,” said Scott-Young. “I’ve made close friendships with a good number of the guys in the team – it’s a very tight-knit community, which I love being a part of.

“The high-performance environment at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens is also incredible, I hadn’t experienced anything like it before coming to Northampton.

“It’s also been really cool to see the reaction of our supporters towards the collaborations between my clothing brand, ‘Saint Gustaf’, and the Club. I’ve really enjoyed the artistic outlet that the Club has given me, and I’m looking forward to doing some more of that in the future.

“Moving to England and facing new challenges has helped me grow as a person and opened my eyes to new cultures and new ways of living. On the field, playing in the Premiership has been brilliant for my development; it’s one of, if not the highest, level of club rugby in the world. Every week is a huge challenge which is really enjoyable.

“If you look at the stock Saints have in the back row, the guys I’m competing with for places, they’re almost all at international level. Being around players like that is the best way to ensure you’re upping your game, you learn to appreciate the talent that they have, and learn to take bits from their game.

“Ultimately, iron sharpens iron, and I want to continue to become the best version of myself here at Saints.”

Scott-Young made over 70 appearances for the Reds before arriving in Northampton, winning the Super Rugby AU competition in 2021, as well as earning a further 30 caps for Queensland Country in Australia’s National Rugby Championship.

Son of former Wallaby forward Sam, Scott-Young also gained experience in New Zealand’s National Provincial Championship where he represented Bay of Plenty Steamers in 2021.

The 6’4” back rower is English-qualified having previously represented Australia Under-20s at the Junior World Championships in 2016 and 2017.

Scott-Young has a dual Bachelor’s Degree (Commerce and Science) and a Postgraduate Certificate in Biotechnology from the University of Queensland, where he has also deferred entry for a Masters of Medicine. Since arriving in the UK, he was shortlisted for the prestigious Rhodes Scholarship at Oxford University, and is currently studying for a Postgraduate Certificate in Philosophy at Cambridge.

Saints’ Director of Rugby, Phil Dowson, said: “Angus has played a lot of rugby for Saints since arriving in Northampton – he’s tough, he’s durable, he pushes himself all the time and he challenges the group.

“He’s also very bright, and a big character within the group as he enjoys a bit of fun at the expense of himself and the others. He’s also living with George Hendy and has been a brilliant mentor for him as a young player looking to get better.

“Angus’ attitude towards development is exemplary; he’s very diligent, desperate to succeed, unrelenting and always getting better as a player, which is everything that we want.

“He puts in a shift every single week – in one game earlier this season he made 18 tackles after coming off the bench, which is extraordinary – and so we’re delighted to keep him here in Northampton moving forward.”