Northampton Saints hooker Mike Haywood to quit professional rugby at end of season

Northampton Saints hooker Mike Haywood has announced that he will be quitting professional rugby at the end of the ongoing 2023/24 season.

Haywood, a product of Northampton Academy, made his senior debut with the club in 2011 and was their top try scorer in the 2016/17 season.

Overall, the 31-year-old has gone on to play 269 appearances for the Saints scoring 34 tries.

He started in both the victorious Premiership Rugby and European Challenge Cup finals in 2014, as well as thewin over Leicester Tigers in that year’s Premiership semi-final.

In the summer of 2016, Haywood was named in the Premiership Dream Team after a string of impressive performances during the 2015/16 season.

“It’s been an amazing journey for me with Saints – starting from playing locally in Colchester, going through the Academy system, and then into the first team,” said Haywood to the club's official website.

“It’s hard to put into words how lucky I feel and how grateful I am to have had this experience at the Club.

“The standout season of course was when we won the Premiership and Challenge Cup in 2014, and winning the semi-final at the Gardens – that will stay with me for the rest of my life.

“But throughout the 13 seasons in Northampton, the support from the fans has been amazing and the staff at the Club are incredible.”

Northampton are positioned third in the Gallagher Premiership table with eight wins from 15 games.