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Saints resign front-row duo Waller and Haywood
By RugbyPass
Northampton Saints have today announced that front-row duo Alex Waller and Mikey Haywood have re-signed with the club.
With a total of nearly 400 club caps between them, the duo, who graduated from Saints’ Academy, have put pen to paper to extend their time with the Saints.
???@MikeHaywood_2 and @alex_waller are staying at the Saints!
The Academy produced duo have both signed new deals with their only pro club ?? pic.twitter.com/u3g4pcYeDh
— Northampton Saints (@SaintsRugby) November 28, 2017
Chief Executive Mark Darbon said that today’s signings are a brilliant advert for the club’s Academy system.
“We’re very happy to have extended the contracts of two more Academy products in Alex and Mikey.
“We not only want to build a world class team but build that with a backbone of home grown talent.
“It’s a great testament to our Academy system and the two have been a huge part of the club’s success over the years. We’re very happy they have chosen to re-commit to the Saints.”
Director of Rugby Jim Mallinder echoed those sentiments, saying: “It’s been great to have seen the two of them develop into the players they are today.
“Both of them have played a large part in the club’s history so far and no doubt they are to be a big part of the club’s future.
“We’re delighted they’ve chosen to stay at Saints.”
Waller who has signed on until 2021, made his debut in 2009, has over 200 caps for the black, green and gold and holds the record for the most consecutive Aviva Premiership games with his league appearances dating back to the 2011/12 season opener.
Waller has also experienced international honours, earning two caps with England Saxons before touring New Zealand with the senior England side in summer of 2014 and featuring in a non-capped game against the Barbarians in 2015.
Haywood made his debut alongside Waller, in the opening game of the 2011/12 season against Gloucester and has signed to stay at the club until 2020.
Making his 150th appearance for the Saints on the turn of 2017 against the same side, the 26-year old hooker has not only helped the Saints lift both the Aviva Premiership and European Challenge Cup trophies in 2014 but was also named in the BT Sport Aviva Premiership Dream Team in 2016 before coming out as the side’s top try scorer last season.
Haywood has also experienced his fair share of international success, securing the Six Nations Grand Slam with England Under-20s before reaching the final of the IRB Junior World Championship that same year.
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Look there are a few unarguable facts here that are very clear. SARU was close to bankruptcy with SR, bailed out by the Lions and they need the URC and EPCR. Inclusion of SA teams in URC has been a great for for ALL concerned, from a rugby perspective and financially, moreover there is massive growth yet to come. The GP is in financial trouble and this will be the catalyst for EPCR change to further cement the Boks.
If this all plays out with even greater rewards for the urc AND the Top14 & GP via EPCR, the 6N will become 7N. Nz and Aus NEED to get their version firing with Japan & the PI’s, otherwise they will find themselves increasingly regressing…
Go to commentsPerofeta came back and was available for the eoyt right? Or was that why Love was in the squad (but got injured in the last week)?
It was such a frustrating year. Perofeta looked a service stop gap until Jordan was fit, but then got injured. Plummer was selected because of Pero's injury and dmac shat the bed in the second half in Australia but Clarke (?) got himself binned at the 65 min mark so Plummer couldn't come on (at least with the risk adverse Razors thinking) when he was planned to.
So many other exciting opportunities that could have happened without injuries, but then theyre probably balanced by knowing Sititi probably wouldn't have been given a chance without multiple injuries happened.
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