McParland: 'I see Saints as the club that can get the very best out of me'
Archie McParland believes Saints can bring out the best in him after he signed a new deal to stay at DPD Stadium at Franklin's Gardens.
After an incredible breakthrough campaign last term, during which McParland helped Saints claim the Gallagher PREM title for the second time in three seasons, other English clubs cast admiring glances towards the scrum-half.
But he has decided to remain in Northampton, putting pen to paper on a multi-year contract extension.
The scrum-half has already racked up more than half a century of appearances for Saints despite being just 21 years old, following a rapid rise through the ranks since making his debut in 2022.
That day, when he replaced Callum Braley in a PREM Rugby Cup clash against London Irish, McParland became the youngest Saint of the professional era, at just 17 years and 222 days old, a record he still holds.
Now a Gallagher PREM winner and England A international, McParland has established himself as a core member of Saints’ senior squad.
And he is thrilled to be extending his stay with his boyhood club.
“Saints have given me so much throughout my career, so I’m really happy to be signing on again with this club,” McParland said.
“There’s so much more potential in this team, which is really exciting, and I see Saints as the club that can get the very best out of me and help me fulfil my own potential too.
“Last season was brilliant for me in terms of getting more game time. Playing regularly is obviously really important if you want to improve, but I think having strong competition around you is just as important. Having Mitch (Alex Mitchell) here and being able to work alongside him every day is only going to make both of us better in the long run.
“It would be amazing to win the PREM again. Very few teams get the opportunity to win back-to-back titles, so of course that’s something we’d love to achieve. But we’re not getting ahead of ourselves. We know how difficult that is, so it’s about taking things one game at a time while keeping that ambition in the back of our minds.
“It has been great to get a feel for what an England camp is like, and to train alongside some of the best players in the country.
"Playing for England has been a dream of mine since I was five years old, and it’s something I really hope I can achieve.
"I know there’s a lot of work to do to get there, so for now my focus is on continuing to improve and performing well for Saints.”