First-class
123-459: Northampton Saints (officially Northampton Rugby Football Club ) are a professional rugby union club from Northampton , England. They play in Premiership Rugby , England's top division of rugby. They were formed in 1880 as "Northampton St. James", which gave them the nickname Saints from the 1880s. The team play their home games at Franklin's Gardens , in the west of the town, which has
246-563: A British Isles team visited Australia and New Zealand—although a private venture, it laid the foundations for future British and Irish Lions tours; and the 1888–89 New Zealand Native football team brought the first overseas team to British spectators. During the early history of rugby union, a time before commercial air travel, teams from different continents rarely met. The first two notable tours both took place in 1888—the British Isles team touring New Zealand and Australia, followed by
369-488: A haka before each match, leading Welsh Rugby Union administrator Tom Williams to suggest that Wales player Teddy Morgan lead the crowd in singing the Welsh National Anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau , as a response. After Morgan began singing, the crowd joined in: the first time a national anthem was sung at the start of a sporting event. In 1905 France played England in its first international match. Rugby union
492-652: A broken arm in a car crash that also resulted in the fatality of teammate, Reginald Northway . After the Second World War, things could only get better for Northamptonshire and they started by recruiting widely from other counties and countries, bringing in Freddie Brown from Surrey ; the Australians Jock Livingston , George Tribe and Jack Manning; the New Zealander Peter Arnold ; and
615-505: A capacity of 15,250 and play in black, green, and gold colours. At the conclusion of the 2023–24 Premiership Rugby season, Saints finished first, which entitled them to compete in the 2024–25 European Rugby Champions Cup . The current director of rugby is Phil Dowson , who was promoted to director of rugby in the summer of 2022. Northampton has won seven major titles. They were European Champions in 2000 , English Champions in 2014 and Premiership Champions in 2023–24. They have also won
738-404: A half-sized pitch to train on. There are still two further outdoor training pitches that are also used for games by the youth players and second team, as well as for hosting youth rugby tournaments. The stadium has six car parks, with enough space for 1,500 cars. The main car parks are located next to the outdoor training pitches and were constructed in 2005, they lie opposite the car parks used by
861-580: A limited number of games, and Cambridge and Oxford continued their annual University Match . The first officially sanctioned international rugby sevens tournament took place in 1973 at Murrayfield, one of Scotland's biggest stadiums, as part of the Scottish Rugby Union centenary celebrations. In 1987, the first Rugby World Cup was held in Australia and New Zealand, and the inaugural winners were New Zealand. The first World Cup Sevens tournament
984-415: A lineout throw is generally awarded to the opposition at the spot on the sideline where they left the field. Exceptions include a kick out "on the full" (i.e. the ball did not land in the field-of-play before going into touch) in which case the lineout would still take place on the sideline but back in line with where the ball was kicked, or when a team takes a free kick from a penalty where they would retain
1107-543: A place in the following season's Heineken Cup . They also finished second in the English Premiership, losing to Saracens 19–21 in the semi-final played at Franklin's Gardens, and progressed as far as the quarter-finals of the Heineken Cup losing to Munster at Thomond Park, Limerick. Northampton finished fourth in the 2010–11 English Premiership , losing to Leicester in the semi-final. Saints also went undefeated into
1230-585: A points tally of 43, but ultimately avoided relegation and confirmed their place in the 2018–19 Premiership Rugby season. A new era was confirmed at the club, when it was announced on 29 January 2018, that Hurricanes boss Chris Boyd would link up with the Saints for the 2018–19 Premiership Rugby campaign. The announcement of Boyd was a huge coup for the club, due to the coach's high level profile, and success in Southern Hemisphere Rugby, which included
1353-530: A preferred or standard 68 metre width, this is often used unless a ground has been specifically designed to accommodate a 70-metre rugby field. 100 metres is the typical length, with a line (see below) often marked at halfway with "50" on it, representing 50 metres from each goal line. The variations have been allowed in the Laws, possibly to accommodate older grounds (perhaps even pre-metrification when yards and feet were specified) and developing nations. The field of play
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#17330854495221476-427: A season, Northamptonshire could only finish above second from last four times between 1923 and 1948, finishing last every year from 1934 to 1938 and enduring a run of 99 matches from 14 May 1935 to 29 May 1939 without a single championship victory, a record that has never been beaten and doesn't look like being beaten in the future. Things got worse for Northamptonshire during this time when Bakewell's career ended due to
1599-572: A side that reached the Powergen Cup final and again qualified for the Heineken Cup . Travis Perkins became the club's main sponsor in 2001. In recent times the club narrowly survived relegation from the Premiership, after the coach ( Alan Solomons ) was sacked in the middle of the 2004–05 season. The coaching role was passed onto the former first teammates Budge Pountney and Paul Grayson to tide
1722-454: A squad of 32 to represent England, meaning that over a quarter of the England team were Saints – a new club record for the number of players selected for a single England squad. In 2011–12, the Saints reached a third successive Premiership semi-final and a second Anglo-Welsh Cup final in three seasons. After winning their first five matches of 2012–13, the Saints were pulled back into the pack in
1845-450: A stagnation of the club overall, and on 12 December 2017, largely successful director of rugby Jim Mallinder was ultimately released from the club as a result after spending more than 10 years at the club. On 29 December 2017, Australian coach Alan Gaffney joined the club on an interim basis until the end of the 2017–18 Premiership Rugby campaign, who worked alongside Alan Dickens at the helm. The team finished 9th overall that year with
1968-466: A successful penalty kick or a drop goal each score 3 points. The values of each of these scoring methods have been changed over the years. According to World Rugby's Laws of the Game, a typical rugby ground, formally known as the "playing enclosure", is formed by two major zones: The referee (and their assistants) generally have full authority and responsibility for all players and other officials inside
2091-470: A view to have a 'mini Lord's ' style media centre. This following table gives details of every venue at which Northamptonshire have hosted a first-class , List A or Twenty20 cricket match: The Northamptonshire squad for the 2023 season consists of (this section could change as players are released or signed): This list is compiled of international cricketers who have played Test and/or ODI cricket. It also includes players who have been mentioned in
2214-493: A weak batting line-up meant that the team remained close to the bottom of the championship table until Sydney Smith arrived in 1909. After three years in the middle of the table, Northants surprisingly improved to finish second in 1912 and fourth in 1913. Thompson, Smith and William "Bumper" Wells formed one of the strongest attacks in county cricket at the time, whilst Smith and Haywood were the county's best batsmen. Thompson and Smith finished playing after World War I and, during
2337-534: Is Chatswood Oval in Sydney, Australia, an elliptically shaped cricket ground which is the home of Gordon rugby club, that has curved dead-ball lines to maximise the available in-goal space. Where multiple sports share a field (e.g. a rugby league and a rugby union club sharing one field), lines may be overlaid on top of each other, sometimes in different colours. However, particularly for television, rugby union line markings are generally painted white. Some exceptions include
2460-402: Is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in England in the first half of the 19th century. Rugby is based on running with the ball in hand. In its most common form, a game is played between two teams of 15 players each, using an oval-shaped ball on a rectangular field called a pitch. The field has H-shaped goalposts at both ends. Rugby union is a popular sport around
2583-406: Is also a multi-functional conference centre as well as the only Gallagher Premiership ground with its own cenotaph, which is located on the north corner of the stadium under the main screen. All stands also contain wheelchair areas and wheelchair and disabled access is provided throughout. Northampton Saints had an unbeaten home record that stretched from March 2007 to March 2009, much of this record
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#17330854495222706-558: Is an all seated area apart from the executive box section at the top. In 2009, the Saints' board announced they would be applying to increase capacity to 17,000 with the redevelopment of the North Stand. It was intended this would be funded by a £40 million investment by supermarket chain Asda, who would build a new store on the land used as training pitches. A political battle ensued with the local council, which later came to be seen as an attempt by
2829-408: Is considered "out-of-bounds" for the ball and the players, normally resulting in the non-infringing team receiving possession of the ball at a restart. The perimeter area can be divided into two areas: For the purposes of determining if a ball is "out-of-bounds" (i.e. has left the playing area), the perimeter area extends indefinitely away from the playing area. When a ball or player goes into touch,
2952-445: Is divided by a solid "halfway" line, drawn perpendicular to the sidelines at their midpoint. A 0.5m line is marked perpendicular to the halfway lines at its midpoint, designating the spot where the kickoffs shall be taken. The areas between each goal line and the halfway line are known as "halves" as in other football codes. A pair of solid lines are also drawn perpendicular to the sidelines, 22 metres (formerly 25 yards) from each end of
3075-479: Is referred to by many fans of the club as the "Demolition Tour of Division Two". In 1995, rugby union turned professional and the club was taken over by local businessman Keith Barwell. In 1999, Saints came runners-up in the Allied Dunbar Premiership , their league campaign climaxing with a crucial home local derby with eventual winners Leicester Tigers , which they lost 15–22. Ian McGeechan had left
3198-440: Is the third and final row of the forward positions, who are often referred to as the loose forwards. The three positions in the back row are the two flankers and the number 8 . The two flanker positions, known as the blindside flanker and openside flanker, are the final row in the scrum. They are usually the most mobile forwards in the game. Their main role is to win possession through 'turn overs'. The number 8 packs down between
3321-518: The Football Club . The executive parking is located just outside the stadium next to the Carlsberg Stand. The club's first home was located on Mill Lane, to the south of Franklin's Gardens. Saints played games on this pitch from 1880 until their permanent move to Franklin's Gardens in 1894. Rugby union Rugby union football , commonly known simply as rugby union or often just rugby ,
3444-642: The 2008–09 season , the Saints finished eighth on the table and only losing one game at home to Newcastle Falcons . They also lifted the European Challenge Cup , defeating French side Bourgoin 15–3 in the final on 22 May 2009 at The Stoop in London. The victory gave them a place in the 2009–10 Heineken Cup . In March 2010, the Saints won the Anglo-Welsh Cup final against Gloucester 30–24, gaining them their fourth piece of silverware in three years, and
3567-671: The 2016 Super Rugby title with the Hurricanes . In Boyd's first season at the club, the Northampton Saints would go on to lift the Premiership Rugby Cup , by defeating Saracens 23–9 in front of a home-final crowd, which took place on 17 March 2019. The Saints also secured a top 4 finish for the first time since 2015, and Boyd's men would go on to face the Exeter Chiefs in the Premiership Rugby semi-final play-off system. In
3690-907: The Bunnings NPC in New Zealand, the League One in Japan and the Currie Cup in South Africa. Other transnational club competitions include the United Rugby Championship of club teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales, European Rugby Champions Cup in Europe, and Super Rugby in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Primitive forms of football included harpastum , played by
3813-570: The Cambridge University opening bat and leg-spinner Raman Subba Row . Brown joined as captain in 1949, and led the team to six place in his first season after previous years of disappointment. Under the new leadership of Dennis Brookes (a stalwart batsman for over 20 years), finished second in 1957, their best finish for 45 years. This was mainly due to the bowling attack of Frank Tyson , Vincent Broderick , Michael Allen , George Tribe and Manning. Northamptonshire were widely considered
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3936-538: The historic county of Northamptonshire . Its limited overs team is called the Northants Steelbacks – a reference to the Northamptonshire Regiment which was formed in 1881. The name was supposedly a tribute to the soldiers' apparent indifference to the harsh discipline imposed by their officers. Founded in 1878, Northamptonshire (Northants) held minor status at first but was a prominent member of
4059-565: The "St. James" part of their name to become "Northampton Football Club", as the recently formed Association Football club Northampton Town FC also wished to take on this name. In the end, after some negotiation from RFU chairman George Rowland Hill , the Cobblers were willing to cede the name to Saints. Saints formed an early relationship with the Cricket Club , after donating all ticket proceedings from their 1897 game against Portsmouth RFC to
4182-638: The '100 Greats: Northamptonshire County Cricket Club' book. Therefore, making them notable to the county and international cricket scene. England Australia South Africa India Pakistan West Indies New Zealand Zimbabwe Ireland Sri Lanka Scotland A complete list of officially appointed Northamptonshire captains can be found here: List of Northamptonshire cricket captains . Notable captains : Northamptonshire do not automatically award caps to players on their first appearance; instead, they have to be 'earned' through good performances. In recent times, cricketers who are awarded
4305-449: The 17th century and the first two references to cricket in the county are within a few days of each other in 1741. On Monday 10 August, there was a match at Woburn Park between a Bedfordshire XI and a combined Northants and Huntingdonshire XI. Woburn Cricket Club under the leadership of the Duke of Bedford was on the point of becoming a well known club. On Tuesday 18 August, a match played on
4428-456: The 1830s, "running in" with the ball in hand was allowed but subject to hacking and "collaring". Former Rugby School student Albert Pell is credited with having formed the first "football" team while a student at Cambridge University . Major private schools each used different rules during this early period, with former pupils from Rugby and Eton attempting to carry their preferred rules through to their universities. A significant event in
4551-579: The 1880 Suite, which has a capacity of 50, as well as the Director's Lounge, which also functions as a smaller conference centre and has a capacity of 120. The Cinch Stand is located to the south of the ground and has the tallest seated area in the stadium, it runs along the width of the pitch. Originally known as the South Stand, it was constructed alongside the Tetley's (now Carlsberg) Stand in 2001–2002. It replaced
4674-455: The 2015 edition, the Steelbacks once again won the competition in 2016, defeating Durham by 4 wickets. Most first-class runs for Northamptonshire Qualification – 20,000 runs Most first-class wickets for Northamptonshire Qualification – 800 wickets Team totals Record partnership for each wicket As with all county cricket clubs, Northamptonshire CCC represents
4797-585: The 2023–24 season, Northampton Saints won the Gallagher Premiership in a match against Bath, finishing 25–21. This was their second league win, 10 years after their first win in 2014. A parade was organised for the following day and thousands of supporters attended. Roads were shut for this and a route was planned, which went from Franklin's Gardens to the Northampton Guildhall . Northampton Saints have played at Franklin's Gardens since 1880, when
4920-554: The Barbarians withdrew their support in 2008. The match was saved by the efforts of former Northampton player Bob Taylor and former Northampton chairman Keith Barwell, and since 2012 it has been played alternately at Bedford Blues ' Goldington Road ground and Franklin's Gardens, with the host club facing the British Army team. From 2024 the match will be played as a preseason game between Bedford and Northampton. In this postwar period
5043-589: The Cow Meadow near Northampton between two teams of amateurs from Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire is the earliest known instance of cricket being played in Northamptonshire county. On 31 July 1878, the official formation of Northants CCC took place at a meeting in the George Hotel, Kettering based on an existing organisation that dated back to 1820. The 1820 date, if it could be verified, would make Northants
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5166-587: The Elite Insurance Stand in 2016 and finally the Cinch Stand in 2022. The Church's stand is located to the west and runs along the length of the pitch. It was constructed in 2001–2002, alongside the South and Tetley's Stands. It is an all seated stand and is the only stand to not feature any executive boxes, likely due to design restrictions with it backing onto public land. Underneath the seating area, it contains
5289-416: The England setup while younger players such as Paul Grayson , Matt Dawson and Nick Beal came through the ranks and would follow the duo into the England senior team. In 1994, Ian McGeechan took over as director of rugby, and although the club were relegated in his first season, they returned in style the next season, winning every single game of their campaign and averaging 50 points a game. This season
5412-474: The England squad, including Tom Wood as captain. In the 2013–14 season, the club finished second in the league behind Saracens with a total of 78 points. Despite finishing second in the table, they went on to win the 2013–14 English Premiership , defeating table-topping Saracens 24–20, after 100 minutes of rugby due to the game going to extra time. They also reached the final of the 2013–14 European Challenge Cup , which they won by beating Bath 16–30, with
5535-567: The English league at the time, they defeated the French champions 7–6 to advance to the semi-finals. On 28 April 2007, despite a 27–22 victory over London Irish at Franklin's Gardens, Northampton were relegated from the English Premiership. A "behind the scenes restructure" led to the brief appointment of Peter Sloane as head coach, from the role of forwards coach. Paul Grayson became the skills and backs coach. England Saxons coach Jim Mallinder became
5658-469: The Gardens, where a 'them and us' mentality had built up between the players and those in charge of the club. Some former players formed their own task force, which swept out the old brigade in the 1988 'Saints Revolution' and put a plan into action that would put the club back at the top of the English game. Barrie Corless , as director of rugby, set about restructuring the club and soon the Saints were back on
5781-506: The Laws: Generally, points where the dashed lines intersect other lines will be marked with a "T" or cross shape, although the extensions of dashed lines are generally not drawn within 5 metres of the goal lines or sidelines, to allow a clear demarcation of the field of play's boundaries. The Laws require the playing area to be rectangular in shape, however variations may be permitted with the approval of relevant unions. A notable example
5904-801: The New Zealand team touring Europe. Traditionally the most prestigious tours were the Southern Hemisphere countries of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa making a tour of a Northern Hemisphere, and the return tours made by a joint British and Irish team. Tours would last for months, due to long traveling times and the number of games undertaken; the 1888 New Zealand team began their tour in Hawkes Bay in June and did not complete their schedule until August 1889, having played 107 rugby matches. Touring international sides would play Test matches against international opponents, including national, club and county sides in
6027-461: The Premiership and exited both the Anglo-Welsh and Heineken Cups, despite ending Ulster 's four-year unbeaten home European record just before Christmas 2012. The team finished fourth in the league, and after beating Saracens in the semi-final reached their first ever Premiership final, where they lost 37–17 to Leicester. The 2013 season finished with seven players being taken to Argentina as part of
6150-472: The Romans, where two opposing teams competed to throw a large ball into an opposition net, fighting for possession of the ball. Medieval Irishmen played caid , carrying an inflated bladder and using arched trees as goals. The Welsh played an inter-parish game using a wooden ball called cnapan . Frenchmen played soule and Georgians played lelo. "Football" as a game was well established by 1803 at Rugby School and by
6273-425: The Saints continued to grow, and they started to produce some of the best players in England, some of whom went on to captain their country. They were one of the driving forces in the English game for the next 60 years producing players such as Butterfield, Jeeps, Longland, White and Jacobs but hard times were ahead. The club failed to keep pace with movements within the game and top players were no longer attracted to
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#17330854495226396-666: The South African-born batsman Allan Lamb ; fast bowler David Larter ; the hard hitting opener Colin Milburn , whose career was cut tragically short by an eye injury sustained in a car crash; the reliable batsmen David Steele and Rob Bailey ; opening batsman Wayne Larkins ; and all-rounders Peter Willey and David Capel . Several notable overseas players such as Matthew Hayden , Curtly Ambrose , André Nel , Kapil Dev , Mike Hussey , Sarfraz Nawaz , Mushtaq Mohammad , Anil Kumble , Dennis Lillee and Bishen Bedi have starred for
6519-523: The United States , Canada and Eastern Europe , its growth occurring during the expansion of the British Empire and through French proponents ( Rugby Europe ) in Europe. Countries that have adopted rugby union as their de facto national sport include Fiji , Georgia, Madagascar , New Zealand, Samoa , Tonga , and Wales . International matches have taken place since 1871 when the first game
6642-475: The Wallabies (Australia's national team) who often have yellow markings. Local clubs may use black, yellow, or other colours on grass, with other surfaces possibly requiring different marking techniques. Unlike association football, where on-field advertising is strictly forbidden in the laws, World Rugby allows sponsors logos to be painted on the playing surface. This is another way in which clubs can make money in
6765-539: The Wanderers, and, in contrast to Saints' working class roots, the exclusive, predominantly upper-class Northampton Unity Football Club, who later offered to merge with Saints (though this was refused by the St James governing board).. " Play the game as a sportsman should, remember that life is but a span, it's up to us to be cheerful and good, and make life as bright as we can " It was not long before Northampton had one of
6888-431: The backs and the forwards is that the backs are expected to have superior kicking and ball-handling skills, especially the fly-half, scrum-half, and full-back. The half-backs consist of two positions, the scrum-half and the fly-half , also known in the Southern Hemisphere as half-back and first five-eighth respectively. The fly-half is crucial to a team's game plan, orchestrating the team's performance. They are usually
7011-422: The ball is kicked into touch by a player who had at least one foot on or behind their own 22-metre line, the line-out formed at the spot where the ball crossed the touch-line instead of being taken in line with the spot from where it was kicked. Additional broken or dashed lines (of 5 metre dash lengths, according to the Laws ) are drawn in each half or on each side of, the field, each with specific purposes under
7134-417: The ball. Forwards play a vital role in tackling and rucking opposing players. Players in these positions are generally bigger and stronger and take part in the scrum and line-out. The forwards are often collectively referred to as the 'pack', especially when in the scrum formation. The front row consists of three players: two props (the loosehead prop and the tighthead prop) and the hooker . The role of
7257-570: The best team in England in the late 1950s and early 1960s, during this time Keith Andrew , Northants best ever Wicket-keeper broke the records of most victims in an innings and a season. Subsequently, the club has seen mixed fortunes. The club has had intermittent success in one-day competitions, but it has still not won the County Championship, although second place was achieved in each of 1957, 1965 and 1976. Nonetheless, it has included several famous players qualified for England, including
7380-449: The board to wrest public funding and public land for their commercial objectives. After the previous controversy, the club secured funding through alternate means – a loan thought to be in the region of £5million through Northampton Borough Council – and with planning permission rubber-stamped, building commenced in the summer of 2015. The Barwell Stand, which was named after the Barwell family,
7503-578: The case of Northern Hemisphere rugby, or provincial/state sides in the case of Southern Hemisphere rugby. Between 1905 and 1908, all three major Southern Hemisphere rugby countries sent their first touring teams to the Northern Hemisphere: New Zealand in 1905, followed by South Africa in 1906 and Australia in 1908. All three teams brought new styles of play, fitness levels and tactics, and were far more successful than critics had expected. The New Zealand 1905 touring team performed
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#17330854495227626-484: The changing facilities for the home and away teams, as well as a gym and kit facilities. The Tunnel Club is also located here and functions as a viewing area for hospitality guests located inside the tunnel. The head coach's seating area is also located at the top of the stand, and the benches for each team are located directly below. The Barwell Stand was constructed in 2015 and replaced the Sturtridge Pavilion. It
7749-444: The club at the end of the previous season to return to coach Scotland, and was replaced by former Saints player John Steele who had done well on a limited budget at London Scottish . Steele relied on the foundations laid by McGeechan, as well as the inspirational captaincy of Samoan Pat Lam to lead the club to European success the following season. In 1999–2000, the club became a Public Limited Company (Plc) and shares were issued to
7872-517: The club was founded. Franklin's Gardens is a purpose-built rugby stadium to the west of the town centre, apart from the stadium, the club also has two training pitches, an indoor training centre, car parking facilities and a club shop (all see below). It is about 1,250 m from the railway station and about 2,000 m from the bus station. The stadium has a capacity of 15,249 spectators and 18,000 for concerts. The stadium also has 40 corporate boxes, each of which can hold from 8 to 24 people. The stadium
7995-455: The club's principal sponsor from 2022 to 2023 season. Until 2018, known as the Tetley's Stand, this stand has the largest capacity of all those in the stadium, and sits on the eastern side of the ground, running along the length of the pitch. The stand was constructed in 2001–2002 and replaced the old east stand. In the stadium bowl, it features both a seated area as well as a terraced standing area. There are 14 executive boxes in this stand above
8118-542: The club, which was particularly formidable as a one-day batting outfit in the late 1970s and early 1980s. More recently, Lance Klusener and Monty Panesar have been notable players. Northants have recently been criticised for the number of Kolpak players in the team, but for the 2009 season there were only three in Andrew Hall , Johan van der Wath and Nicky Boje , and only one in 2013 in Hall. Northamptonshire have played in
8241-570: The clubs that had favoured the Rugby Rules formed the Rugby Football Union in 1871, and their code became known as " rugby football ". In 1895, there was a major schism within rugby football in England in which numerous clubs from Northern England resigned from the RFU over the issue of reimbursing players for time lost from their workplaces. The split highlighted the social and class divisions in
8364-493: The cricket club, they later followed this up with a similar gesture after a game against Bedford in 1899. In 1905 , Saints managed to secure a game against the Original All Blacks , losing 32-0. After a post-match meeting on 1st May 1905, a third, gold, stripe was added to the shirt to mark the occasion, despite the heavy defeat. Eight years after Harry Weston's first England cap, Edgar Mobbs made his debut. Edgar
8487-464: The domestic T20 Blast competition since its inaugural season in 2003. They play as the Northants Steeelbacks, taking their nickname from the Northamptonshire Regiment . Under the captaincy of Alex Wakely they first won the competition in 2013, defeating Surrey by 102 runs (D/L). This was the first white ball trophy won by the county since 1992. After finishing runners up to Lancashire in
8610-635: The early Minor Counties Championship during the 1890s. In 1905, the club joined the County Championship and was elevated to first-class status, since when the team have played in every top-level domestic cricket competition in England. The club plays the majority of its games at the County Cricket Ground, Northampton , but has used outlier grounds at Kettering , Wellingborough , Rushden and Peterborough (historically part of Northamptonshire, but currently governed with Cambridgeshire ) in
8733-489: The early development of rugby football was the production of a written set of rules at Rugby School in 1845, followed by the Cambridge Rules that were drawn up in 1848. Formed in 1863, the national governing body The Football Association (FA) began codifying a set of universal football rules. These new rules specifically banned players from running with the ball in hand and also disallowed hacking (kicking players in
8856-480: The field are divided into eight forwards (two more than in rugby league ) and seven backs . There are typically significantly more forwards on the bench than backs with, for example, South Africa having a 7-1 split in favour of forwards in their August 2023 match against New Zealand in Twickenham. A 6-2 or 5-3 split is more common. The main responsibilities of the forward players are to gain and retain possession of
8979-401: The field of play and called the 22-metre lines, or "22"s. An area at each end, also known as the "22", is bounded by, but does not include, the sidelines, goal line and 22-metre line. In this area, a defensive player who cleanly catches a ball kicked by the other team, without the ball having already touched the ground after the kick, is entitled to claim a free kick, or " mark ". Additionally, if
9102-410: The field to accommodate fitter and faster (or heavier) players. Fixed cameras on tripods and advertising hoardings are often the main culprits for injuring players in the perimeter area. Northamptonshire CCC One-day T20 Northamptonshire County Cricket Club is one of eighteen first-class county clubs within the domestic cricket structure of England and Wales . It represents
9225-525: The final of the Heineken Cup , where they were beaten by Leinster 33–22, at the Millennium Stadium . At the beginning of the 2011–12 season, with nine players out for the 2011 Rugby World Cup in New Zealand, Saints were knocked out of the 2011–12 Heineken Cup in Stadium MK by Munster. When the international players returned, Saints began to move up the table. England picked eight Saints players out of
9348-420: The first laws were written by pupils at Rugby School; other significant events in the early development of rugby include the decision by Blackheath F.C. to leave The Football Association in 1863 and, in 1895, the split between rugby union and rugby league . Historically rugby union was an amateur sport, but in 1995 formal restrictions on payments to players were removed, making the game openly professional at
9471-425: The first to receive the ball from the scrum-half following a breakdown, lineout, or scrum, and need to be decisive with what actions to take and be effective at communicating with the outside backs. Many fly-halves are also their team's goal kickers. The scrum-half is the link between the forwards and the backs. They receive the ball from the lineout and remove the ball from the back of the scrum, usually passing it to
9594-537: The fly-half. They also feed the scrum and sometimes have to act as a fourth loose forward. There are four three quarter positions: two centres (inside and outside) and two wings (left and right). In the Southern Hemisphere, the inside centre is commonly referred to as the second five-eighth, while the outside centre is simply known as the centre. The centres will attempt to tackle attacking players; whilst in attack, they should employ speed and strength to breach opposition defences. The wings are generally positioned on
9717-414: The goal lines, equivalent to American football's "end zones". The in-goal areas must be between 6 and 22 metres (6.6 and 24.1 yards) deep and cover the full width of the field. A ball grounded in this area by an attacking player will generally result in a try being awarded, unless there has been a previous infringement, or the player has gone out-of-bounds whilst in possession of the ball. The perimeter area
9840-480: The ground up until 1994 when the Cobblers moved to Sixfields Stadium . After the football club moved, the ground at the Abington Avenue was demolished and replaced by a new indoor school which includes seating looking on to the ground. In 2009, Northants cricket announced plans to improve the ground by building two new stands on the scoreboard side of the ground, there will also be a permanent commentary box with
9963-651: The highest level for the first time. Rugby union spread from the Home Nations of the United Kingdom and Ireland , with other early exponents of the sport including Australia , New Zealand , South Africa and France . The sport is followed primarily in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, New Zealand, Australia, Pacific Islands - Fiji , Tonga , Samoa , Georgia , Oceania , Southern Africa , Argentina , and in recent times also, Italy , Japan , South America ,
10086-611: The historic county and not any modern or current administrative unit. In Northamptonshire's case, this means the county of Northamptonshire and the Town of Northampton , although the club have in the past played some home matches outside the historic borders such as in Luton and Milton Keynes . Northamptonshire first played at the county ground in Northampton in 1905 , and continue to do so till this day even though Northampton Town F.C. shared
10209-412: The inter-war period, Northamptonshire were regularly one of the weaker championship sides. This was exacerbated when Vallance Jupp declined due to age and, despite the arrival of Nobby Clark , a young left arm fast bowler from Huntingdonshire who burst onto the scene at the age of 20 in 1922 with 20 wickets at an average of 17.10 and Fred Bakewell , an exciting batsman who regularly exceeded 1000 runs
10332-483: The major rugby union teams in the country, by the 1896-97 season they only conceded 93 points and kept their opposition scoreless for 17 of the 22 games played that season. Twenty years after its establishment, the first Saints player, local farmer Harry Weston, was awarded an England cap . The club was also drawing crowds of around 10,000 for major games, especially those against Leicester by this point. A minor disagreement occurred in 1897 as Saints looked to drop
10455-511: The match being played at Cardiff Arms Park in Wales . Following the most arguably successful season in the club's history, the Saints finished atop of the Rugby Premiership with 76 points. However, they were undone in the 2014–15 Premiership Rugby semi-finals, losing out 24–29 to Saracens on 23 May 2015. After this, a couple disappointing seasons followed, with on-pitch results leading to
10578-414: The most important attributes of a good full-back are dependable catching skills and a good kicking game. Rugby union is played between two teams – the one that scores more points wins the game. Points can be scored in several ways: a try , scored by grounding the ball in the in-goal area (between the goal line and the dead-ball line), is worth 5 points and a subsequent conversion kick scores 2 points;
10701-613: The new head coach and director of rugby, with his assistant Dorian West also following as assistant coach. Peter Sloane has since left the club. On 22 March 2008, Northampton beat Exeter Chiefs to ensure their promotion and a return to the Guinness Premiership . On 12 April 2008, Northampton beat Exeter Chiefs 24–13 at Twickenham Stadium to win the EDF Energy Trophy . On 26 April 2008 they ended their National Division One season undefeated with 30 wins from 30 games. In
10824-406: The old temporary South Stand, which had been up for some time by 2001. Construction was challenging due to the presence of a lake to the rear of the stand and initially much work had to be done to prevent subsidence. By 2005, plans were approved to increase the capacity of the stand and it was made several metres higher, adding around 1000 seats of capacity and 5 executive boxes, again the construction
10947-700: The oldest club in the present-day County Championship . The club came to prominence in the Minor Counties Championship during the 1890s as, between 1900 and 1904, the bowling of George Thompson and William East was much too good for almost all batsmen at that level. The county applied for first-class status in 1904 and was promoted the following year when it joined the County Championship. They played its inaugural first-class match versus Hampshire CCC at Southampton on 18, 19 & 20 May 1905 when making its County Championship debut. Although Thompson and East proved themselves to be bowlers of high class,
11070-471: The opposite side of the Village to the stadium. This is designed to act as somewhere indoors to train and was partially driven by the distinct advantages that sports teams gain from having a training area that can be used at any given time, even in extreme weather. The pitch has an artificial grass. It was built on the previous main training pitch at the back of the stadium and features changing facilities as well as
11193-414: The outside of the backline. Their primary function is to finish off moves and score tries. Wings are usually the fastest players in the team and are elusive runners who use their speed to avoid tackles. The full-back is normally positioned several metres behind the back line. They often field opposition kicks and are usually the last line of defence should an opponent break through the back line. Two of
11316-629: The past. It has also used grounds outside the county for one-day games: for example, at Luton , Tring and Milton Keynes . During the 2022 season, Northamptonshire played in Division One of the County Championship . They also played in the North Division of the Royal London One-Day Cup and the North Division of the T20 Blast . Cricket had probably reached Northamptonshire by the end of
11439-440: The playing area and perimeter area, although depending on how large the perimeter is, other surfaces such as dirt, artificial turf, etc. may be used outside of a "sliding" perimeter from the bounds of the playing area. For the most part, the "playing area" is where the majority of play occurs. The ball is generally considered live whilst in this area, so long as players do not infringe, with special rules applied to specific zones of
11562-442: The playing area. The playing area consists of: A typical "field of play" is generally 100 metres long by 68–70 metres wide for senior rugby, depending on the specific requirements of each ground. The Laws require the field of play to be between 94 and 100 metres (103 and 109 yards) long, with a width of between 68 and 70 metres (74 and 77 yards). As other football codes, such as association football and rugby league, have specified
11685-432: The playing enclosure. Fences or ropes (particularly at amateur clubs) are generally used to mark the extent of this area, although in modern stadia this may include the entire arena floor or other designated space. The Laws, above all, require that the playing enclosure's surface be safe, whilst also permitting grass, sand, clay, snow or conforming artificial turf to be used; the surface would generally be uniform across both
11808-645: The pre-1995 period of rugby union was marked by frequent accusations of " shamateurism ", including an investigation in Britain by a House of Commons Select committee in early 1995. Following the introduction of professionalism trans-national club competitions were started, with the Heineken Cup in the Northern Hemisphere and Super Rugby in the Southern Hemisphere. The Tri Nations , an annual international tournament involving Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, kicked off in 1996. In 2012 , this competition
11931-415: The professional era and is also often used by host nations, professional leagues and tournaments as additional revenue streams, particularly when games are broadcast. In recent years, augmented reality technology has been used to replace painting to protect the surface or save costs on painting fields, producing a similar effect for broadcast albeit sometimes with poorer results. The in-goal areas sit behind
12054-560: The public; in this season the Saints lost in the Tetley's Bitter Cup Final to Wasps , but beat Munster 9–8 in the European Cup Final to win their first major trophy. After a poor start to the 2001–2002 season, former All-Black coach Wayne Smith was appointed as head coach. He went on to transform the club in five short months. A team who looked down and out in November were moulded into
12177-425: The right to throw-in. The perimeter area should be clear and free of obstructions and heavy, solid objects which could pose a danger to players for at least 5 metres from the playing area, according to the Laws. Players often leave the playing area whether accidentally or due to being forced off of the field, sometimes sliding or needing to slow down from a sprint. Many venues at elite levels leave larger spaces around
12300-510: The seated and standing areas. Underneath the stand on the ground floor, the Rodber bar can be found, which also doubles as a conference centre with a full capacity of 600. Also located on the ground floor, the Captain's Bar and Heroes Restaurant function as a conference area and serves certain supporters on match days, they both have a capacity of 150. On the first floor there is also a Cocktail bar, called
12423-464: The secondary European Rugby Challenge Cup twice, in 2009 and 2014 , the Anglo-Welsh Cup in 2010 , and, most recently, the inaugural Premiership Rugby Cup in 2019 . They have also won the Second Division title three times; in 1990 , 1996 and 2008 . Their biggest rivals are Leicester Tigers . The East Midlands Derby is one of the fiercest rivalries in English rugby union. The club
12546-574: The shins), both of which were legal and common tactics under the Rugby School's rules of the sport. In protest at the imposition of the new rules, the Blackheath Club left the FA followed by several other clubs that also favoured the "Rugby Rules". Although these clubs decided to ban hacking soon afterwards, the split was permanent, and the FA's codified rules became known as " association football " whilst
12669-473: The south. It features a number of bars and food stalls, as well as a large screen and a seating area next to the lake. Located here is also the Crooked Hooker bar, which can only be accessed by members and is one of the oldest structures still standing on the stadium grounds. There is also a marquee for conference events and club events. The Northampton Saints Foundation offices are also located in one corner of
12792-427: The sport in England. Although the rules of the game were not a factor in the split, the breakaway teams subsequently adopted some rule changes and this became the separate code of " rugby league ". The RFU's code thereafter took on the name "rugby union" to differentiate it from rugby league, but both versions of the sport are known simply as "rugby" throughout most of the world. The first rugby football international
12915-432: The tallest players in the team and specialise as line-out jumpers. The main role of the lock in line-outs is to make a standing jump, often supported by the other forwards, to either collect the thrown ball or ensure the ball comes down on their side. Locks also have an important role in the scrum, binding directly behind the three front row players and providing forward drive. The back row, not to be confused with 'Backs',
13038-583: The team over. They had a slow start in the 2005–06 season, but continued to stay mainly unbeaten after the New Year. Budge retired at the start of the 2006–07 season leaving Grayson in overall control. The Saints would again compete in the 2006–07 Heineken Cup . They finished second in their pool, behind Biarritz Olympique , the runners-up from the previous season. Northampton qualified for the quarter-finals and actually met Biarritz in Spain. Despite being in last place of
13161-582: The town and the county for around 17 years at this point. His original concept was to promote "order" to his younger parish members by creating an "improvement class" for troubled local boys. The first "official" game played is considered to be against a local team, called the Star, from Bailiff Street, just off the Northampton Racecourse . The early days saw games against teams from Northampton such as All Saints, St Michael's, Scorpions, Northampton Rugby Club,
13284-424: The two locks at the back of the scrum. The role of the number 8 in the scrum is to control the ball after it has been heeled back from the front of the pack, and the position provides a link between the forwards and backs during attacking phases. The role of the backs is to create and convert point-scoring opportunities. They are generally smaller, faster and more agile than the forwards. Another distinction between
13407-453: The two props is to support the hooker during scrums, to provide support for the jumpers during line-outs and to provide strength and power in rucks and mauls. The third position in the front row is the hooker. The hooker is a key position in attacking and defensive play and is responsible for winning the ball in the scrum. Hookers normally throw the ball in at line-outs. The second row consists of two locks or lock forwards. Locks are usually
13530-536: The village. The Club Shop was acquired in the 1990s and was previously a nightclub/ bar. It is located to the north of the stadium and opens onto the main road (A4500). Sold here are replicas of all kits as well as accessories and other fashion items. The main ticket office is also located to the rear of the Shop. In 2023 the club opened the Northampton Saints High Performance Centre, located on
13653-564: The way up, helped by the signing of All Blacks legend Buck Shelford . In 1990, Northampton Rugby Union Football Club gained promotion to the First Division and the following year made their first trip to Twickenham to play Quins in the Pilkington Cup Final. They lost in extra time but the foundations of a good Saints line-up were beginning to show in the following few seasons. Tim Rodber and Ian Hunter forced their way into
13776-591: The world, played by people regardless of gender, age or size. In 2023, there were more than 10 million people playing worldwide, of whom 8.4 million were registered players. World Rugby , previously called the International Rugby Football Board (IRFB) and the International Rugby Board (IRB), has been the governing body for rugby union since 1886, and currently has 116 countries as full members and 18 associate members. In 1845,
13899-674: Was a hero throughout the town, as well as in Bedford after representing them several times also. A victim of the RFU 's witch hunting post Great Schism was accused of "professionalism" in 1907 and tried by the RFU , alongside several other players, all of whom were acquitted. He was the first Northampton player to captain his country but is best remembered for his exploits in World War I. After initially being turned down as too old, Edgar raised his own "Sportsman's" battalion otherwise known as Mobbs Own . Edgar
14022-457: Was completed for the start of the 2015–16 Premiership Rugby season, and took the capacity at Franklin's Gardens up to 15,249. The stand also features the Members bar on the ground floor, which functions as a conference area on non-match days. Decorating the wall is an image of every single international player who has ever played for the club. The Stadium Village is located behind the Cinch Stand to
14145-448: Was established in 1880 under the original title of Northampton St. James by Rev Samuel Wathen Wigg, a local clergyman and curate of St. James Church who was a resident of the nearby village of Milton Malsor in the house known as "Mortimers". This is how the club got its two nicknames of "The Saints" or "Jimmies". Wigg Himself had played for around 18 months between 1878-1880, and rugby football had already been played on an informal basis in
14268-463: Was extended to include Argentina , a country whose impressive performances in international games (especially finishing in third place in the 2007 Rugby World Cup) was deemed to merit inclusion in the competition. As a result of the expansion to four teams, the tournament was renamed The Rugby Championship. Each team starts the match with 15 players on the field and typically seven or eight substitutes but this varies at amateur level. The 15 players on
14391-678: Was held at Murrayfield in 1993. Rugby Sevens was introduced into the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and was added to the Olympic Games of 2016. Both men and women's Sevens took place at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Rugby union was an amateur sport until the IRB declared the game "open" in August 1995 (shortly after the completion of the 1995 World Cup), removing restrictions on payments to players. However,
14514-517: Was included as an event in the Olympic Games four times during the early 20th century. No international rugby games and union-sponsored club matches were played during the First World War, but competitions continued through service teams such as the New Zealand Army team . During the Second World War no international matches were played by most countries, though Italy, Germany and Romania played
14637-546: Was influenced by the lake. Three stairwells (one for executive box use only) and seven entrance tunnels were added to allow easier access to the higher sections. Several bars were also added to the new concourse as well as additional toilet facilities. There is a gym located on the lower section of the stand though this is used less than the main gym in the Church's stand. In 2010 it was named the Burrda Sport Stand, later becoming
14760-567: Was killed in battle, leading his battalion over the top by kicking a rugby ball into no man's land on 29 July 1917 attacking a machine gun post and his body was never found. Thousannds turned out to see the unveiling of his monument on Market Square. The club arranged the Mobbs Memorial Match as a tribute. It had been played every year since 1921 and the fixture took place between the Barbarians and East Midlands at Franklin's Gardens until
14883-614: Was played between Scotland and England at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh. The Rugby World Cup , first held in 1987, is held every four years. The Six Nations Championship in Europe and The Rugby Championship in the Southern Hemisphere are other important international competitions that are held annually. National club and provincial competitions include the Premiership in England, the Top 14 in France,
15006-629: Was played on 27 March 1871 between Scotland and England in Edinburgh . Scotland won the game by one goal and one try to one goal. By 1881 both Ireland and Wales had representative teams and in 1883 the first international competition, the Home Nations Championship had begun. 1883 is also the year of the first rugby sevens tournament, the Melrose Sevens , which is still held annually. Two important overseas tours took place in 1888:
15129-622: Was set during the Saints' 2007–08 promotion from the RFU Championship (previously National Division One). During the 2008–09 English Premiership regular season the Saints only lost at Franklin's Gardens on one occasion, to the Newcastle Falcons. In September 2021, Northampton Saints announced a six-year sponsorship deal with online car dealership cinch, which including naming rights to Franklin's Gardens. The stadium immediately became cinch stadium at Franklin's Gardens and cinch would become
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