Saints scoop up two from London Irish
NEWS: Northampton have acquired the services of a second player from London Irish with the announcement that Tom Pearson will be following Chunya Munga Premiership club.
Munga was the first player to get sorted, agreeing terms to join Northampton for the 2023/24 season.
The Exiles’ were suspended on June 6 by the RFU from playing next season – the third Premiership club to fall by the wayside since last September due to financial troubles, leaving their players having to seek alternative employment.
Pearson scooped London Irish’s young player of the year award after his debut campaign but began to really capture the headlines in 2022/23, with a season’s worth of standout performances seeing him named as the Premiership’s breakthrough player of the season and the RPA’s young player of the season.
Pearson said: “From my very first conversation with Phil Dowson, he has been extremely honest and clear on the direction he wants Saints to go as a club. He really made me feel like I would fit in well in Northampton with the playing group and the style of rugby the team plays.
“He has also got clear ideas on where my game can improve, and I want to push on and develop as much as I can as a player. Saints have an ambitious and young squad, who want to play at the very highest level – so it’s a really exciting prospect to join the club, try to make an impact on the pitch, and look to win trophies in the not-too-distant future.
“Northampton is a massive rugby town and Saints are blessed with a huge fanbase. It’s the best pitch to play on and the stadium has one of the best atmospheres in the Premiership, so I’m really looking forward to that, but I also have some family based in Northamptonshire so it’s already a home away from home for me.
“I’ll always be incredibly grateful to London Irish and treasure my time there. They gave me a shot two years ago coming out of university when I was an unknown and probably a bit of a risk. It’s tragic to not know the true potential of that team we had, but I want to thank all the players, staff, and the fans for everything they gave me over the last two years and for helping me create lifelong memories.”
Source @RugbyPass
