Dowson hails Weimann's development as scrum-half signs new Saints contract
Phil Dowson says Jonny Weimann has 'come on in leaps and bounds' during his time at Saints.
And the director of rugby is happy to have been able to hand the England Under-20s scrum-half a new deal.
A product of Bedford School and a former Royston RFC junior, Weimann began his rugby journey in Saracens’ Academy before leaving their youth ranks at the age of 16 to join Saints.
After putting pen to paper on his first professional contract, he made his competitive Saints debut in the PREM Rugby Cup against Leicester Tigers during the 2024/25 campaign.
His Gallagher PREM debut followed later that season, also against Leicester, and Weimann went on to earn two league starts – away to Exeter Chiefs and Gloucester Rugby.
He marked his appearance at Kingsholm by scoring his first senior Northampton try.
On the international stage, Weimann has represented England throughout the age-grades. He featured in the Under-18s Six Nations Festival in March 2024, before progressing to the Under-20s squad the following year.
He made his debut off the bench against Scotland in February 2025 and was subsequently selected for the World Rugby Under-20s Championship that summer.
This season, Weimann’s opportunities have been limited by a hamstring injury, but after featuring in Saints’ dramatic 35–33 victory over Saracens at the end of last month, he returned to the England Under-20s’ camp last week ahead of their clash with Italy.
His Saints contract extension was announced on Tuesday morning.
And Dowson said: “Jonny’s been excellent for us.
"He’s got an incredible work ethic and attitude, he’s naturally tenacious and competitive, and he’s worked extremely hard on all aspects of his game – from his passing and kicking to his decision‑making as a scrum-half.
“He gets the ball up and away very quickly, which is something we really value, and it’s also a quality that our other nines bring. Having that group competing every day, all playing the Saints way but offering slightly different strengths, is hugely valuable for us as a coaching group.
"Jonny is one of our own and he's desperate to play for Saints. He takes real pride in representing this club and he's a very good man to have in the environment.
“His involvement with England Under‑20s shows the potential he has, and over the coming years Jonny will be able to learn from and compete with two of the very best nines in the country. That competition is healthy and it raises standards across the group.
“He communicates well, understands the game, and he’s come on leaps and bounds in his time with us so far.
"We’ve developed a really strong stable at scrum-half, and we’re delighted that Jonny has committed his future to Saints.”