‘You have to earn those fairytales’ – George Furbank opens up on impending Northampton Saints exit
George Furbank is dreaming of a fairytale exit from Northampton Saints
George Furbank has been at Northampton Saints, man and boy. If you cut him, he’d bleed Black, Green, and Gold.
After emerging through the ranks at local side Huntingdon RFC and Bedford School, he was signed to the club’s academy ranks in 2016. A year later, he was making his senior bow.
November 2017, Furbank was selected to play in a PREM Rugby Cup clash against Exeter Chiefs at Sandy Park. Northampton went onto lose the game, but he made his mark on proceedings with a try.
He would have to wait a while for his next outing, though, but it was worth it. Furbank made 18 appearances in all competitions during that breakthrough campaign of 2018/19, notably featuring in their Cup final win against Saracens, and he hasn’t looked back.
‘The dream ending would be to lift the trophy again’
Furbank has been a regular in the side ever since, going on to make a total of 145 appearances at the time of writing and helping the club win a second PREM title.
But his time at Franklin’s Gardens is drawing to a close, and sooner than he’d like.
From next season, the England international will swap those shades coursing through his veins for Harlequins’ famous quarters after penning a deal with the London outfit.
The play-offs ensure somewhat of a longer farewell for the flying full-back, but it also brings a definitive date as well. This Friday night, against bitter rivals Leicester Tigers, is Furbank’s last time playing at the ground he’s called home for the best part of a decade for the team he has grown up supporting.
“I’m not sure it’s something I want to think about until the game’s done, if I’m honest. It could add a bit of an extra driving factor or hunger, but not that I need that for a home semi-final against Leicester,” he said.
“It’s something I’m just going to try and feel after the game rather than let it take over me before.
“The dream ending would be to lift the trophy again. We got to do that a couple of years ago with the likes of Courtney Lawes, Alex Waller and those boys. That was an incredibly special day.
“I’d love a fairytale ending, but I’m pretty aware they don’t happen easily. You have to earn those moments.
“We’ve had a season which has been incredible and we’ve been pretty consistent throughout. We’ve earned the opportunity to have a home semi-final, but all we’re thinking about is performing in this.
“Every boy dreams of a fairytale ending, and to be a part of that a couple of years ago was incredibly special. Firstly, I’d love to win a trophy again, that’s what I play rugby to do, but to do it in my final game for Saints would be pretty epic.
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“It’s definitely a driving factor, but fairytales don’t happen to many people. You have to earn those fairytales, so we’re looking to perform at the weekend first and foremost.”
‘It’s nothing personal’
The departure to Quins caused somewhat of a stir within rugby circles, and particularly among those in the East Midlands, but he insists he understands the position Northampton came from during negotiations.
“The biggest thing for me was having honest conversations; I wanted the club to be as honest as possible with me, and I was going to be as honest as possible with them,” he said.
“That starts you off in good stead. I’m also pretty aware of how rugby works; you’re never going to be able to keep a group together forever. If Saints weren’t necessarily going to push the boat out to keep me, then they were aware that I was going to leave.
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“But this has been my boyhood club for 10 years, so I didn’t want to fall out with anyone. That was my approach to it, and I’m self-aware and aware of how sport works in general.
“I know the mantra they (Northampton) have here in bringing young boys through, and that’s what stands this club in great stead because they’ve got an incredible academy system. It’s why you see so many boys coming through.
“It’s nothing personal. It’s sport at the end of the day, and my relationship with the coaches and staff wasn’t going to change because of that.”
‘It got pretty dark at points’
But, this has not quite been the farewell tour Furbank would have hoped for. From consistently breaking 20 games a season for the Saints, he has made just 25 appearances in the past two seasons combined, following arm, concussion, calf and knee issues at various points since December 2024, which have also seen him miss out on further Test caps with England.
“It got pretty dark at points,” he admitted. “All I wanted to do was to get back playing.
“When you’re in it, it’s easy to take it for granted and how important something to look forward to on a weekend is to drive you through. I wanted to be back out on the field and finish my time here on a high.”
“For me, it was just about getting away from rugby (when he was injured), and not thinking too much about it. They (the playing squad) made that very easy, most of us live within a 10-minute walk of each other so I didn’t spend too much time alone. My girlfriend was also a massive help in spending time away from rugby.”
Furbank has been at Northampton, man and boy, but he won’t be a Saint for much longer. If he gets his way, though, he will end his time a champion.
