Joining Saints is 'the perfect move' for Falcons No.8 Callum

The No.8 will switch to Northampton from Newcastle Falcons this summer, ending a 16-year association with his boyhood club.

Chick is currently Newcastle captain and has clocked up more than 150 senior appearances.

He has gained a wealth of experience across both the domestic and European competitions with Newcastle, while winning two England caps.

But Chick said: “I am 28 now and I feel the time is right for me to move on.

“I have aspirations to get more England caps, and in order to do that I feel like I have experience something new.

“Northampton feels like a perfect move for me. I enjoy the brand of rugby, and they have some great coaches and players.

“Moving was a no-brainer and Northampton being that choice was an easy decision.

"I think that I will fit in well, and I am excited to get started.”

Chick’s first season of professional rugby came in 2015/16, a campaign that would end with him winning the Junior World Championship alongside past and present Saints players, Tom West and Harry Mallinder.

The 6ft 3ins, 118kg forward enjoyed something of a breakthrough season the following term, earning a first Premiership start and scoring his first try in the European Challenge Cup.

From there, Chick became a mainstay of Falcons’ side and that club form was rewarded with a senior England call-up in 2021, with Chick making his debut against the USA, before earning a second cap against Canada the following week.

A third appearance for England would come a year later in an uncapped clash with Barbarian F.C.

After captaining Falcons on occasion, Chick took over the role permanently in 2023/24 – a season that ended with him winning the Ken Lockerbie trophy at the club’s end-of-season awards, voted for by the club’s founder members.

Chick has led by example in the No. 8 shirt this season, starting all 15 of Newcastle’s Premiership games, while also featuring in the league’s top 10 players for post-contact metres made (173, 5th), turnovers won (12, 8th) and carries (217, 10th).

And it is that tenacity and work-rate that impressed director of rugby, Dowson – who himself swapped Newcastle for Northampton 16 years ago.

Chick said: “When I spoke to Phil Dowson on the phone, first and foremost, he was just a good bloke and that is something I can buy into. It was a big draw for me to be able to play for someone like that and get the opportunity to grow under him, Sam Vesty and the other coaches.

“The standard at Northampton across the board is great, but in particular the back row has got some fantastic players. I am looking forward to learning from them and putting that into my game.

“Competition for positions brings the best out of everyone, and, for myself, that is something I am looking forward to.

“Northampton feels like one of those towns that always looks forward to the rugby game at the weekend, that going to watch Saints is always something on the calendar. Coming from a football city where rugby plays second fiddle, to be moving somewhere like that is hugely exciting.

“The crowds in Northampton are always brilliant, they sell out matches pretty much every week and that’s something I can’t wait to be a part of.”