Fin Smith voted Gallagher Player of the Month for January

Northampton Saints fly-half Fin Smith has been voted January’s Gallagher Player of the Month, winning 43% of the vote in the public poll ahead of Saints teammate Ollie Sleightholme, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs) and Guy Pepper (Newcastle Falcons).

Smith continued his impressive run of form in Black, Green and Gold in January, marshalling Saints as they remained unbeaten to climb to a seven-point lead at the top of the Gallagher Premiership and secured a home Round of 16 clash in the Investec Champions Cup knock-outs.

Also nominated for the Club’s cinch Player of the Month gong, the 21-year-old scored some 44 points from the tee in his three outings for Saints across the month and earned a call-up to Steve Borthwick’s England squad for the Guinness Six Nations in the process – claiming his first cap against Italy in the competition’s opener.

Smith becomes the fourth recipient of the Gallagher Player of the Month award for the 2023/24 season, and the second successive winner from Northampton after Courtney Lawes collected the December gong.

The fly-half joins a long list of Saints to collect the league award, with Lawes (December 2023 and September 2017), Fraser Dingwall (February 2023), Alex Mitchell (November 2021), Lewis Ludlam (May 2020), Rory Hutchinson (February 2019), Cobus Reinach (November 2018), Teimana Harrison (April 2016), Dylan Hartley (January 2014) and Samu Manoa (December 2014 and October 2013) also winning the gong.

Charlie Scott, Chief Financial Officer at Gallagher, said: “It is a pleasure to present the Gallagher Player of the Month award to Fin as he has played brilliantly so far during the season. 

“Fin has played a pivotal role in Saints’ success and leading position in the league table so far this season, and his performance on the pitch has gone from strength to strength. Fin is showing a lot of promise and is now a rising star at international level. It's great that he has earned himself a place on the England Six Nations squad and his first, of what I am sure will be many, international caps.”

The shortlist was voted for by a panel of media professionals.

The judges for the 2023/24 Gallagher Premiership Rugby season are: Ali Eykyn (TNT Sports), Ugo Monye (BBC, TNT Sports), Jill Douglas (ITV, BBC), Ashleigh Wilmot (Eurosport, TNT Sports), Rugby Inside Line, Alex Lowe (The Times), Hugh Godwin (i), Nick Mullins (TNT Sports) and Chris Jones (BBC).

Winners in the 2022-23 season

January - Fin Smith (Northampton Saints)
December - Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)
November - Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby)

Winners in the 2022-23 season

March - Tom Pearson (London Irish)
February - Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints)
January - Janse van Rensburg (London Irish)
December - Rob du Preez (Sale Sharks)
November - Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby)
October - Alex Goode (Saracens)
September – Theo McFarland (Saracens)

Winners in the 2021-22 season

March - George McGuigan (Newcastle Falcons)
February – Freddie Burns (Leicester Tigers)
January - André Esterhuizen (Harlequins)
December – George Ford (Leicester Tigers)
November – Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints)
October – George Ford (Leicester Tigers)
September – Adam Radwan (Newcastle Falcons)

Winners in the 2020-21 season

May – Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs)
April – Zach Mercer (Bath Rugby)
March- Danny Care (Harlequins)
February – Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
January – Piers O’Conor (Bristol Bears)
December – Alfie Barbeary (Wasps)
November – Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs)

*Winners in the 2019-20 season

August – Jack Willis (Wasps)
May– Paul Hill and Lewis Ludlam (Northampton Saints)*
April - Harry Williams (Exeter Chiefs)
March – Jamal Ford-Robinson (Gloucester Rugby)
February – Charles Piutau (Bristol Bears)
January – Alex Dombrandt (Harlequins)
December - Louis Rees-Zammit (Gloucester Rugby)
November – Tom O’Flaherty (Exeter Chiefs)

* Gallagher ran public polls while play was suspended to nominate a ‘Community Player of the Month’ in recognition of inspiring off-pitch performances made by players during lockdown to support their local communities and boost the morale of the wider rugby community.

Winners in the 2018-19 season

April – Francois Hougaard (Worcester Warriors)
March – Santiago Cordero (Exeter Chiefs)
February – Rory Hutchinson (Northampton Saints)
December – Cobus Reinach (Northampton Saints)#
November – Ollie Thorley (Gloucester Rugby)
October – Alex Goode (Saracens)
September – Danny Cipriani (Gloucester Rugby)

Winners in the 2017-18 season

April – Vereniki Goneva (Newcastle Falcons)
March – Joe Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs)
February – Jack Willis (Wasps)
December – Josh Adams (Worcester Warriors)
November – Ruan Ackermann (Gloucester Rugby)
October – Jonny May (Leicester Tigers)
September – Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints)

Winners in the 2016-17 season

April – Taulupe Faletau (Bath Rugby)
March – Christian Wade (Wasps)
February – James Short (Exeter Chiefs)
December – Tom Varndell (Bristol Rugby)
November – Freddie Burns (Leicester Tigers)
October – Mako Vunipola (Saracens)
September – Jimmy Gopperth (Wasps)

Winners in the 2015-16 season

April – Teimana Harrison (Northampton Saints)
March – Francois Hougaard (Worcester Warriors)
February – George Smith (Wasps)
January – Thomas Waldrom (Exeter Chiefs)
December – Maro Itoje (Saracens)
November – Nathan Hughes (Wasps)
October – Nick Evans (Harlequins)

Winners in the 2014-15 season

April – Joe Simpson (Wasps)
March – Elliot Daly (Wasps)
February – Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
January – Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby)
December – Samu Manoa (Northampton Saints)
November – Thomas Waldrom (Exeter Chiefs)#
October – Semesa Rokoduguni (Bath Rugby)
September – Kyle Eastmond (Bath Rugby)

Winners in the 2013-14 season

April – Chris Ashton (Saracens)
March – Danny Cipriani (Sale Sharks)
February – Vereniki Goneva (Leicester Tigers)
January – Dylan Hartley (Northampton Saints)
December – Nick Easter (Harlequins)
November - George Ford (Bath Rugby)
October – Samu Manoa (Northampton Saints)
September – Jacques Burger (Saracens)