Northampton Saints can confirm that Brandon Nansen, Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi, Ethan Grayson, Frankie Sleightholme, Callum Burns, Archie Kean and Joseph Gaffan will leave the Club at the end of the 2022/23 campaign.
The group has 47 appearances between them in Black, Green and Gold, and will move on to pastures new this summer.
Director of Rugby, Phil Dowson, said: “The end of every season is always a difficult time for the squad, as naturally a number of players within the group move on – whether they are retiring from rugby, progressing into the next stage of their professional careers, or switching clubs in search of more opportunities to play consistently.
“This group of players have all made contributions to our group in their own individual ways, on and off the pitch, and we’ll wish them the very best moving forward.”
BRANDON NANSEN
#2038, 21 apps, 5 points
Samoan international Nansen linked up with Saints from French Top14 side Brive ahead of the 2021/22 campaign.
Nansen – who can line up at lock or in the back row – had previously enjoyed stints with North Harbour in the Mitre10 Cup Championship, Super Rugby side the Blues, Top14 outfit Stade Français, and Welsh region the Dragons.
After representing New Zealand Schoolboys back in 2011, Nansen elected to represent Samoa at international level and made his debut in 2017 as he lined up against Romania in Bucharest before featuring twice more for the Manu.
Nansen made his Saints debut against Sale Sharks in the Gallagher Premiership in November 2021, the first of 21 appearances in Black, Green and Gold – with his only try for the Club coming earlier this season in a Premiership Rugby Cup victory up at Newcastle Falcons.
DANNY HOBBS-AWOYEMI
#1943, 14 apps, 0 points
Having originally worked his way through Saints’ Academy system, Hobbs-Awoyemi returned to cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens in the summer of 2020 after a four-year stint at London Irish.
The Northampton-born loosehead rose through the ranks of the Club’s age-group system before signing on permanently and making his senior debut in Black, Green and Gold against Dragons in the Anglo-Welsh Cup in 2014.
His first stint at Saints saw Hobbs-Awoyemi make four appearances with the first team. He also spent a period on loan at Birmingham Moseley before making the switch to Premiership rivals London Irish ahead of the 2016/17 season.
Hobbs-Awoyemi would make 50 appearances for the Exiles, who he helped to promotion back to the Gallagher Premiership in 2019, before he made the return to his hometown Club the following year and added ten more Saints caps to his tally in three seasons.
ETHAN GRAYSON
#2040, 5 apps, 0 points
Grayson became the third Northampton Saint in his family after signing on full-time with the Senior Academy in the summer of 2020.
A part of the Academy setup for all of his junior career, Grayson featured at both fly-half and centre during his development but – unlike father Paul and elder brother James – Ethan’s physicality settled him into the midfield.
Featuring for Saints’ Under-18s through the 2019/20 season, Grayson donned the Black, Green and Gold for the 2019 Premiership Rugby 7s before signing his first professional contract with Northampton ahead of the 2020/21 campaign.
Grayson would make first senior appearance in a Saints shirt during the 2021/22 season, debuting against London Irish in the Premiership Rugby Cup, while he has also featured regularly for partner club Bedford Blues in the Championship.
FRANKIE SLEIGHTHOLME
#2049, 3 apps, 15 points
Son of former Saint Jon, and brother of current Saint Ollie, Sleightholme put pen to paper on his first professional contract in April 2022 – joining Northampton Saints’ Senior Academy on a full-time basis ahead of the 2022/23 season.
The wing was part of the Club’s Under-18s side which reached the final of Premiership Rugby’s Academy League during the 2021/22 campaign.
Coming through from the Northants Under-13 Developing Player Programme and playing for Northampton School for Boys and Northampton Old Scouts, Sleightholme became Saint #2049 with two Premiership Rugby Cup appearances off the bench in March 2022 – scoring on his debut in Black, Green and Gold against Saracens.
CALLUM BURNS
#2052, 2 apps, 0 points
Having worked his way through Northampton Saints’ junior ranks, Burns signed on full time to the Senior Academy during the summer of 2020.
The young hooker skippered Saints’ Under-18s side through the 2019/20 campaign while also featuring for his local team Old Northamptonians, and captained Northampton School for Boys to the National Schools Cup semi-finals.
Burns was given his first taste of senior rugby in March 2022 when he made his Saints debut against Newcastle Falcons in the Premiership Rugby Cup at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens, and he added another appearance in February 2023 against London Irish in the semi-finals of the Cup competition.
ARCHIE KEAN
2 apps, 0 points
Kean signed his first professional contract in April 2022, joining Northampton Saints’ Senior Academy on a full-time basis ahead of the 2022/23 season.
The centre was part of the Club’s Under-18s side which reached the final of Premiership Rugby’s Academy League during the 2021/22 campaign. He joined Saints’ Junior Academy as an Under-13 player in the Suffolk Developing Player Programme, and also played for Colchester RFC ahead of signing on at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens.
His Northampton debut came back in October against Saracens in the Premiership Rugby Cup, and Kean added one more appearance to his tally later that month in the same competition against Harlequins.
JOSEPH GAFFAN
0 apps, 0 points
Gaffan put pen to paper on his first professional contract in April 2022, joining Northampton Saints’ Senior Academy on a full-time basis ahead of the 2022/23 season.
The flanker was part of the Club’s Under-18s side which reached the final of Premiership Rugby’s Academy League during the 2021/22 campaign, but did not make a senior appearance for Saints in 2022/23.
All of the Club’s confirmed departing players will be recognised on the pitch after this Saturday’s game against Leicester Tigers, as part of the annual leavers’ ceremony after the final home match of the season. Supporters will be welcomed onto the pitch to toast this season and bid all leaving Saints a fond farewell.
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