Northampton Saints have named their first squad of the 2019/20 season with the Premiership Rugby 7s returning to Franklin’s Gardens this coming Friday and Saturday.
Connor Tupai will skipper a young Saints squad with plenty to prove in the first hit-out of the campaign, as all 12 Gallagher Premiership clubs descend on Northampton for the festival of 7s rugby.
With free-flowing tries, lightning-fast offloads and crunching tackles all guaranteed across two days of competition, the Premiership Rugby 7s is the chance to see the next generation of rugby stars go toe-to-toe.
Devante Onojaife represents Saints for the third season running in the competition, with the likes of Tupai, Josh Gillespie, and Ollie Newman pulling on the Black, Green and Gold jersey for the second time in 7s rugby.
But it will be a first Saints outing at Franklin’s Gardens for Emmanuel Iyogun, Jack Hughes, Tui Uru, Tommy Freeman and Tommy Mathews – while under-18 players Ethan Grayson (younger brother of Northampton fly-half James), Tom Litchfield and Dani Long-Martinez also get an opportunity to strut their stuff on the big stage.
The squad will be led by Academy attack coach Jake Sharp, who said: “The 7s is a fantastic opportunity for these guys to pull on a Black, Green and Gold jersey for the first time this season in front of a big crowd at Franklin’s Gardens.
“We’re focused on playing some really entertaining rugby for what we’re sure will be a raucous home crowd, but these young players will be hoping to put themselves into contention to play XVs rugby in the coming weeks too.
“Rory Hutchinson skippered our side last year and ended the season representing his country – so this could be just the start for any one of our squad.
“The 7s is also the first piece of silverware of the season available to the 12 clubs, and everyone will want to win it. We know how good it felt to win a trophy on home soil earlier this year, so of course we’ll be going all out to recreate that feat.”
Ticket for both days of the Premiership Rugby 7s competition are still available HERE. Please note: seating for this event is unreserved in the Carlsberg Stand only and will be available on a first-come first-served basis.
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS
Premiership Rugby 7s
Friday 13 and Saturday 14 September, 2019
Franklin’s Gardens
1 Emmanuel Iyogun
2 Jack Hughes
3 Devante Onojaife
4 Tui Uru
5 Ollie Newman
6 Connor Tupai (c)
7 Josh Gillespie
8 Tommy Freeman
9 Tommy Mathews
10 Ethan Grayson (U18, Northampton School for Boys)
11 Tom Litchfield (U18, Samuel Whitbread Academy)
12 Dani Long-Martinez (U18, Norwich School)
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