Northampton Saints sign England prop Brookes

England international prop Kieran Brookes will join Aviva Premiership Rugby Football Union club the Northampton Saints from their domestic rivals the Newcastle Falcons in the new season, it has been announced.

The 24 year old who plays as a tight head is being signed, in all probability, as a replacement for Salesi Ma’afu, who is reportedly leaving the club in the summer for a move to big spending French giants Toulon.

The youngster began his career with the Falcons back in 2009 and after spending two seasons away from the club with the Leicester Tigers at Welford Road, he returned to the club in 2013.

Jim Mallinder, the head coach of the Saints said that Brookes has been very impressive in the manner in which he has risen up the age ranks of the England set up and he has shown his quality as a player in each of those levels.

The Northampton Saints boss added that while they believe the youngster has a lot to contribute to the club, they still believe he has a long way to go to fulfil his true potential and he and everyone else at the club will look forward to help him develop into the player that he can be.

Brookes has been capped six times by the England senior team, making his debut for Stuart Lancaster’s side during last summer’s tour of New Zealand and played in all four of the country’s autumn internationals as well.

The player said that the record that the Northampton Saints have achieved over the last few seasons speaks volumes about the ambitions of the club and he is under no illusion of a guaranteed placed in the starting line-up and knows that he will have to work extremely had to earn his place in the side.