James Ramm, Fraser Dingwall and Fin Smith stole the headlines at Northampton Saints’ Season Awards Dinner on Wednesday evening by sealing the Club’s most-prestigious prizes.
Ramm – in his first season with the Club – scooped both the Carlsberg Players’ Player of the Season and Robinson Manufacturing Breakthrough Player of the Season.
The 24-year-old Australian’s livewire performances in a season where he also won two cinch Player of the Month awards (for December and January) won him the plaudits of his teammates, and he joins an elite group of Northampton legends to have won the Player’s Player award.
“It’s definitely very humbling to win both of these awards,” Ramm said. “To get that recognition from your fellow teammates is really prestigious and means a lot to me.
“This first year at Saints has been fantastic. I can’t say that I expected everything to go as well as it has done after the move over here, especially after a bit of a slow start with a couple of injuries at the start of the season, so for it to end like this is amazing.
“I have to credit all the rest of the team; we’ve formed really strong relationships so quickly, which means that we can play together as well as we do. I wouldn’t be where I am without them.”
James Ramm
The 2022/23 Season Awards Dinner – presented by GRS and hosted by Martin Bayfield – saw Saints roll out the red carpet for 650 people to attend a black-tie dinner in a marquee at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens, with a drinks reception out on the hallowed turf.
It was also a night to remember for Dingwall who was voted the cinch Supporters’ Player of the Season (with just under 1,000 people casting their vote), and picked up the MPA Try of the Season award to boot for his effort against Gloucester – a superb team effort which saw a series of sumptuous offloads send the centre over the whitewash untouched.
The 24-year-old won the Club’s Young Player of the Season award back in 2020, but capped off an impressive campaign (in which he brought up 100 appearances for Northampton and scored seven tries while catching the eye in both attack and defence) with another gong.
Dingwall said: “To be voted the Player of the Season by our supporters is incredibly humbling. I’ve said it many times, but I grew up supporting this Club myself, so I’ve been one of the supporters all my life.
“So, to know they are the ones who have voted for me means a lot and is extremely special. The supporters do so much for the team, both at home and on the road, and I know how much they care about the Club.
“I can’t say I ever even imagined this might happen when I was younger. I used to sit in the cinch Stand with my dad, and just dream that I might play for Saints once.”
Fraser Dingwall
“So, getting into the Academy was huge, and transitioning all the way through and now getting to captain the side a few times as well is so special. I’m sure it will all hit me at some point because it’s hard to reflect while you’re still playing.”
Smith, 20, was another who picked up an award in his first season at the Club. The talented fly-half was named the Ewing Associates Young Player of the Season, having only arrived at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens midway through the campaign.
“It feels great to win this award,” he added. “Obviously rugby is always a massive team effort, but I’m delighted to win an individual award here in my first year at the Club because it shows the fans have appreciated a few of my performances – so I’ll keep working hard to do more of the same.”
Tom Wood’s farewell at the Gardens at Saints’ historic match against the Barbarians was also voted the Matrix Group Moment of the Season to round off the prizes. Several players also reached significant milestones during the 2022/23 season for making 50 and 100 appearances for Northampton Saints, and will be awarded their Club caps at the fixture against Leicester Tigers on Saturday 29 April.
Northampton Saints 2022/23 Season Award winners
Carlsberg Players’ Player of the Season: James Ramm
cinch Supporters’ Player of the Season: Fraser Dingwall
Robinson Manufacturing Breakthrough Player of the Season: James Ramm
Ewing Associates Young Player of the Season: Fin Smith
MPA Try of the Season: Fraser Dingwall (vs Gloucester, Gallagher Premiership R18)
Matrix Group Moment of the Season: Tom Wood (a fond farewell at Saints’ historic match against the Barbarians).
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