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Callum Chick moves to Northampton
Northampton Saints have announced the signing of Callum Chick from Newcastle Falcons ahead of the 2025/26 season. The 6’ 3’’, 118kg back rower joins the midlands side after spending 15 years at the north east club.
Citing aspirations to gain international caps as motivation for the move from the city he was born and raised in, Chick said: “I am 28 now and I feel the time is right for me to move on. I have aspirations to get more England caps, and in order to do that I feel like I have experience something new.
“Northampton feels like a perfect move for me. I enjoy the brand of rugby, and they have some great coaches and players.
“Moving was a no-brainer and Northampton being that choice was an easy decision. I think that I will fit in well, and I am excited to get started.”
Northampton’s standards
Speaking about the potential to learn under other coaches, the 28-year-old continued: “When I spoke to Phil Dowson on the phone, first and foremost, he was just a good bloke and that is something I can buy into. It was a big draw for me to be able to play for someone like that and get the opportunity to grow under him, Sam Vesty and the other coaches.
“The standard at Northampton across the board is great, but in particular the back row has got some fantastic players. I am looking forward to learning from them and putting that into my game. Competition for positions brings the best out of everyone, and, for myself, that is something I am looking forward to.”
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Moving down the country will bring its own challenges, including settling into a new environment, but Chick feels fully up for it: “Northampton feels like one of those towns that always looks forward to the rugby game at the weekend, that going to watch Saints is always something on the calendar. Coming from a football city where rugby plays second fiddle, to be moving somewhere like that is hugely exciting.
“The crowds in Northampton are always brilliant, they sell out matches pretty much every week and that’s something I can’t wait to be a part of.”
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Returning to the England fold
As captain of Newcastle Falcons and a former Junior World Championship winner, Chick is expected to make quite the impact at Saints.
Discussing his new arrival, Dowson said: “We initially spoke to Callum a few years ago and were impressed with him then. At that stage, he decided to stay in Newcastle and that loyalty speaks volumes about him – the way he’s captained that side, had a huge impact there with the way he plays and how he has led in that environment.
“We were in the market for a ball-carrying back row and Callum’s got those attributes in spades; his ball-carrying and ability to move the ball, then there are his defensive hits which we saw recently when we played against Newcastle.
“Callum’s an ambitious player, he’s played some international rugby, gotten a taste for it. He obviously wants more and we think he’s more than capable of returning to that England fold.
“He is a powerful man, but also Callum’s leadership and experience are key for us. He has got a lot of Premiership appearances; it can be a tough league to perform well in and he’s shown a huge amount of resilience throughout his time at Falcons. We love that grit and determination as well as his experience and are looking forward to getting him here.”
