'Clear how driven he is' - Saints make first signing ahead of next season

The 24-year-old, also known as ‘Lefty’, will arrive at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens this summer, having made 30 appearances to date for the current CHAMP leaders.

Saints supporters were given an early glimpse of Zigiriadis last season when he featured for Trailfinders at the Gardens in the PREM Rugby Cup quarter-final, scoring one of Ealing’s tries in the contest.

South African-born Zigiriadis is now ready to take the next step in his career, with the front row forward set to test himself in the Gallagher PREM for the first time.

And Saints boss Phil Dowson is looking forward to seeing what Zigiriadis can achieve in Northampton.

“Lefty is someone who has played a lot of rugby in the Championship, and played very well, which caught our attention,” Dowson said.

“When we then met him and spent some time talking about his ambitions, it was clear how driven he is to push himself to the very highest level.

“We really liked him as both a player and a person. He’s got a huge amount of energy, a real appetite to improve, and we think he has a very high ceiling.

"He’s someone we’re genuinely excited to bring into our environment.

“For a young prop, being able to compete consistently in the Championship is a really good indicator, and we’ve seen plenty of players make the step-up from the second tier successfully here in the past.

"We’re excited about where Lefty can get to and what he can become at this club.

“From a rugby point of view, the set-piece is obviously fundamental for a prop, and Lefty already has a strong base at scrum time. Working closely with Jaco (Pienaar) will be a big benefit for him.

“But he also offers a lot around the park – he enjoys carrying the ball, wants to be involved, and is athletic.

"He’s someone who wants to have an impact on the game, and that’s a quality we really value.”