Huge boost for Saints as Hutchinson signs contract extension

Saints have been handed a huge boost with the news that Rory Hutchinson has opted to extend his stay at the club.
Rory Hutchinson has given Saints reason to celebrate by signing a new contract at the clubRory Hutchinson has given Saints reason to celebrate by signing a new contract at the club
Rory Hutchinson has given Saints reason to celebrate by signing a new contract at the club

The Scotland centre has become a key figure for Chris Boyd's side since establishing himself in the first team during the second half of last season.

He scored six tries in 17 appearances in Boyd's first year in charge and has bagged three tries in nine matches this time round.

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But Hutchinson's game has been about far more than just scoring tries as he has also set up plenty with his impressive passing game.

And Saints boss Boyd is delighted that the 23-year-old sees his future at Franklin's Gardens.

“Hutch is a high-skill player who has made a significant step up in his performances over the last 12 months,” Boyd said.

“Right from when I arrived in Northampton, I was impressed with his skillset, willingness to try new things and the effort he makes to improve his all-round game.

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“He has seen that pay off with awards and a call-up to play for Scotland this summer, all of which was richly deserved, but crucially he has not taken his foot off the accelerator and has picked up where he left off so far this season in trying to fulfil his huge potential.

Hutchinson helped to pull the strings against Benetton last SaturdayHutchinson helped to pull the strings against Benetton last Saturday
Hutchinson helped to pull the strings against Benetton last Saturday

“I’ve no doubt Rory will be an important player for us over the coming seasons, and our supporters love watching him play, so we’re thrilled to see him sign on again.”

Born in Cambridge, Hutchinson joined the Saints Academy from Shelford RFC before breaking into the first-team squad in earnest during the 2016/17 season, with his try against Exeter Chiefs on his first club start winning Saints' try of the season award.

Hutchinson then helped the Wanderers to back-to-back Premiership Rugby A League titles, scoring against Gloucester United in the 2017 final.

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But has really started to excel since Boyd’s arrival at the Gardens.

The centre featured in Saints’ Premiership play-off semi-final against Exeter earlier this year and was also part of the side that lifted the Premiership Rugby Cup in March.

Internationally, Hutchinson represented Scotland at both the 2014 and 2015 World Rugby Under-20s Championships and Six Nations competitions to become the joint most-capped Scotland Under-20s player ever.

He then became the 1104th player to represent Scotland when he made his debut off the bench against France in August and was surprisingly omitted from the World Cup squad, having impressed in the warm-up matches for the tournament in Japan.

However, the disappointment has only spurred him on, and Hutchinson has enjoyed a fine start to the season at Saints.