Northampton Saints today announce that Ella Bevan has been appointed as the Club’s new Chairman, taking on the role after the departure of John White at the end of the 2024/25 season.
Bevan has been a Director on Saints’ Board since 2012 and follows in the footsteps of her father, Keith Barwell, and brother, Leon Barwell, in becoming the Club’s Chairman.
“I’m honoured and extremely excited to be appointed as Chairman of Northampton Saints,” she said. “The Club has been an important part of my life, and all my family’s lives, for almost 40 years.
“I’m humbled to be following on from my dad, from my brother Leon, and then of course Tony Hewitt and John White – who have all achieved incredible things across their tenures as Chairmen, and have been great role-models for me to follow.”
Ella Bevan
“There is a lot of responsibility that comes with this role, so I am very grateful to the Board of Directors for putting their faith in me, and pleased to have the Club’s fantastic senior leadership group and performance staff around me. The Board and the Executive currently work very much as a team together, and this won’t change during my chairmanship.
“Saints need to evolve as rugby evolves, and we need to make sure that we are key drivers and innovators in that process. I’ve always felt that the Club has led from the front on a lot of rugby initiatives, and we need to keep moving forward and finding new methods to progress, as without doing so, we’ll get left behind.
“Our Chief Executive, Julia Chapman, is doing a fantastic job of driving the Club on, picking up from where Mark Darbon left off, and we’re blessed with a strong executive team who the Board have complete faith in – we are there to support and direct them however we can.
“I’m also extremely appreciative of all of Saints’ supporters who have stood by us unwaveringly over the years – they are the most important part of this Club, and we wouldn’t be where we are without them. There are challenges ahead of us, but I’ve seen everything from Premiership and European Cup triumphs to relegations and promotions over the years of my involvement at Saints, and I am completely confident that our best days are still ahead of us.”
Bevan has been a Director at Northamptonshire farming and property management business Bradden Estates since 2009, having previously been a Head of Department at Northampton High School, and initially joined Saints’ Board in 2012. No family has done more for Northampton Saints in the Club’s 145-year history than the Barwells, without whose support the men in Black, Green and Gold would not have been able to enter rugby’s professional era. Their contribution also helped to transform cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens into the world-class multipurpose venue it is today – and ‘The Barwell Stand’ was named in the family’s honour in 2016.
Bevan added: “At Saints, sustainability is what we are striving for. It’s what we have always been about, ever since the Club went professional, and we have always tried to ensure our business model is right.
“Our years and years of profitability came when the salary cap and central distributions were all pretty balanced, and we’re in a situation now where that is not the case. We’ve always tried to be as supportive to the coaches as possible to give them the resources that they need to succeed, as above all else we need to ensure we are competitive on and off the pitch.
“We will be pushing for a model where the Club and the league as a whole can remain sustainable and competitive.”
Ella Bevan
Colin Povey will remain in his role as Deputy Chairman, which he has held since the summer of 2017. A board member at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens for more than 24 years, he has significant experience leading high-profile companies including Carlsberg UK and Warwickshire County Cricket Club. Povey captained England at Water Polo, represented Great Britain, and served as Chairman of England Netball for seven years until 2022.
The remainder of the Board will remain otherwise unchanged after White’s departure in June, and the outgoing Chairman is delighted that Bevan has agreed to take on the role.
“I could not think of anyone better to succeed me as Chairman of Saints than Ella,” said White.
“I had always hoped in the back of my mind that Ella would be the person I handed the baton on to at some stage. She’s been an incredible asset to the Board over more than a decade, and to the Club as a whole for even longer than that – no-one has more knowledge and experience of the culture at Saints than Ella.
“Clearly it’s a source of great pride for her to follow in the footsteps of Keith and Leon, and she will continue to enjoy the support of all the other Directors on the Club’s Board.
“Ella is already extremely well-respected by all of the players, coaches, and staff at Saints, as well as our supporter-base, so she’s in a fantastic position to take us forward over the years ahead.”
John White
Northampton’s Chief Executive, Julia Chapman, added: “Ella has forgotten more about Northampton Saints than most of us could ever hope to learn, and without the Barwell family, Saints would not be where it is today – so it is entirely fitting that Ella will now be representing the Club’s Board as its Chairman.
“I’m delighted to have her in the role; we’ve worked together for a number of years, and she has always been incredible supportive of me.
“Ella is deeply rooted in the local community here in Northampton, and understands the Club from a supporter’s perspective as well as anyone possibly could. She’s always been passionate about engaging Saints’ supporters, and about the Club being here for the good of the whole town of Northampton. I’m really looking forward to working closely with her over the years ahead.”
