Sam Graham signs on again with Northampton Saints

Sam Graham has penned a new contract to remain at Northampton Saints beyond the end of the current season, the Club can today confirm.

The 26-year-old has gone from strength to strength since arriving in Northampton in 2022 from Doncaster Knights, notching up 31 appearances to date in Black, Green and Gold after making his debut against Sale Sharks in the 2022/23 Gallagher Premiership opener.

Graham has established himself as a hard-hitting and abrasive back rower in his two seasons in Northampton, cementing his place in Saints’ side as well as captaining the team on two occasions – and Director of Rugby, Phil Dowson, is delighted to be keeping a player with Graham’s ability and work ethic at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.

“From the moment we first spoke to Sam about coming to Northampton, I’ve been nothing but impressed by him,” he said. “His desire to grow and develop as a player has been second to none since then.

“Sam does a lot of the unseen, ugly stuff out there on the field – the selfless stuff that goes a long way in rugby.

“These are exactly the kind of people we want to keep in our environment; the people who are desperate to keep getting better, and to see where they can get to personally, but also desperate to push the Club on as well. Sam is exactly that kind of person, so we’re delighted to see him stay with us.”

A versatile back rower – who is comfortable at both flanker and No.8 – Graham joined Saints from Championship side Doncaster Knights, where he was named both the Players’ and Coaches’ Player of the Year in his first year at Castle Park.

The loose forward was then named Doncaster club captain ahead of the 2021/22 campaign, and led the side to a second-place finish in the Championship before making the step-up to the Gallagher Premiership and arriving at Saints.

Graham – who began his career at Chippenham RFC before joining Bath’s Academy – also spent time overseas developing his game with Auckland’s Massey RFC in New Zealand prior to joining Bristol Bears, where he made ten first-team appearances and a further 15 while on loan with Hartpury.

“I’m really excited about what we’re building here at Saints,” said Graham. “In the fairly short amount of time I’ve been in Northampton, I’ve become heavily invested in the Club and that’s credit to the way that both myself and my family have been welcomed into the tight-knit group here.

“Signing on again was a really simple decision for me and I’m looking forward to what the next few seasons have in store – first and foremost from a career point of view, but also in my personal life – and I’m delighted I’ll be able to experience it all in Northampton.”