Northampton Saints have today confirmed the Club’s first-team playing squad ahead of the 2026/27 season.
The men in Black, Green and Gold head into the new campaign looking to build on another memorable year after lifting a third Gallagher PREM title last season, securing a second league crown in three years under Director of Rugby, Phil Dowson.
The majority of Saints’ squad reconvened at Franklin’s Gardens at the end of July to begin preparations for the season ahead, while a number of international players remain on leave following summer duty with England, Scotland, Italy and Zimbabwe.
Those players will rejoin the group ahead of Northampton’s trip to Sri Lanka next week, where Saints take on the Asia Pacific Lions before finalising preparations for their first competitive fixture of the season in the PREM Rugby Cup on Saturday 5 September (kick-off: 3pm).
Northampton’s senior squad will be captained by Fraser Dingwall, with a total of 15 new players joining ahead of the new campaign – including Italy internationals Malik Faissal and Ion Neculai, along with former CHAMP standouts Josh Taylor and Lefty Zigiriadis.
There is also a new addition to Saints’ coaching team, with Jim Henry promoted into the senior set-up to join Dowson’s leadership group alongside Sam Vesty, James Craig and Jaco Pienaar.
Eight players have stepped up from the Club’s Academy programme into the senior squad, meaning 61% (35 of 57) of Northampton’s playing group for 2026/27 is homegrown. The Senior Academy group of 18 players will continue to be led by Head of Academy Mark Hopley – supported by Jake Sharp, Charlie Reed, Max Dominy, Reece Marshall and Charles Rylands.
“We’re delighted to be back at Franklin’s Gardens and working together again as a group,” said Saints’ Director of Rugby, Phil Dowson. “It’s been great to reconnect after the summer and start building towards the new season.
“Naturally, it’s always difficult to say goodbye to players at the end of last season, but we’re really excited about the group we’ve assembled and the opportunities ahead.
“One of the things Mark Hopley and the Academy staff do exceptionally well is prepare players for that transition into the senior environment. They rarely feel like new additions, which is a real credit to everyone involved in the pathway.
“This week we’ve also welcomed Malik Faissal for his first days with the group, while familiar faces like Mitch [Alex Mitchell] and Manny [Iyogun] have returned, so the squad is beginning to come together nicely.
“The effort, attitude and commitment shown by the players throughout preseason so far has been outstanding, and we feel we’re in a really good place as we look ahead to the challenges of the new season.”
Northampton Saints squad 2026/27
PROPS
Noah Buxton*
Trevor Davison
Jordan Els**
Danilo Fischetti
Luke Green
Emmanuel Iyogun
Cleopas Kundiona
Ion Neculai
Aiden Reid*
Oliver Scola*
Sonny Tonga’uiha*
Leftheri Zigiriadis
HOOKERS
Ben Alexander
Curtis Langdon
Robbie Smith
Henry Walker
Craig Wright
LOCKS & LOOSE FORWARDS
Aiden Ainsworth-Cave*
James Bennett
Archie Benson
Callum Chick
Alex Coles
Josh Kemeny
Jack Lewis*
Tom Lockett
Alex Mead*
Chunya Munga
Tom Pearson
Henry Pollock
Ed Prowse
Josh Taylor
George Tonga’uiha*
Charlie Ulcoq*
JJ Van Der Mescht
SCRUM-HALVES
Sonny Goode*
Archie McParland
Alex Mitchell
Aidan Pugh*
Jonny Weimann*
FLY HALVES
Anthony Belleau
Hugh Shields*
Fin Smith
CENTRES
Fraser Dingwall
Rory Hutchinson
Tom Litchfield
Henry Lumley*
Freddie St John*
Toby Thame
BACK THREE
Amena Caqusau
Malik Faissal
Tommy Freeman
George Hendy
James Martin
James Pater*
Thomas Rowe*
Ollie Sleightholme
Charlie Tamani*
Edoardo Todaro
*Senior Academy 2026/27
**Short-term contract