Signing on with his boyhood club ahead of the 2026/27 season, Hugh Shields arrived at Franklin’s Gardens as a graduate of Northampton Saints’ Academy system. 

Son of a former Saint, Shields follows his father Paul’s footsteps into the squad, though not positionally – with Shields junior opting to stay out of the pack and don a No. 10 shirt. 

The NSB schoolboy featured for Northampton’s Under-18s as a 16-year-old, helping the side to the Academy League title in 2025. And though injury curtailed his contributions for the majority of his Under-18s term, was  meticulous in his recovery and impressed Saints’ coaches enough upon his return to earn a senior contract.