Archie Benson sets sights well beyond playing for England after new Saints deal

Northampton Saints flanker Archie Benson has become the latest player to sign a new deal at the club.

The 6’6″ back-row, who turned 25 just days ago, is in his second season at Franklin’s Gardens, having joined from National League 2 West outfit Luctonians in 2024 after a week-long trial.

Benson had previously been part of the Gloucester academy, before opting to pursue a career in agriculture at Harper Adams University.

He has already seen more game time than he did last season, and he has set his sights on getting more playing time in the Gallagher PREM under his belt.

Beyond the club scene, Benson’s long-term goal is to represent the British & Irish Lions, saying “there’s no reason for me not to aim high.”

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“Saints have the best coaches to push my game forward, but also the best environment to do it in,” he said after signing.

“I love the lads here and the environment we’ve created – it’s a really exciting squad to be part of and I genuinely enjoy everything about this club.”

“This year has been a big one for my development. I’ve become more involved in the lineout, learning how to call it and working closely with James Craig on that side of my game. Being able to learn from players like Tom Lockett, Chunya [Munga] and Colesy [Alex Coles] has been brilliant, and I’ve really enjoyed adding that extra dimension to my game.

“That’s something Saints does exceptionally well – player development. You only have to look at the back row group we have, with players like Josh Kemeny, Tom Pearson and Henry Pollock, to see how competitive it is. Being part of that group and learning from those guys is exactly what pushes you to improve, seeing what they do and how they’ve progressed through their careers.

“It’s been great to get a run of games in the Cup recently and that just makes you want more. Being in an environment where you can be frustrated at not starting or not being picked for big games is what drives improvement. It becomes about how you can help the squad, and personally what I can do to put myself in the best position going forward.

“The aim this season is to play more PREM games and put my hand up for Europe as well. Long term, I’ve always said I’d love to go on a Lions tour – I know that takes a huge amount of work, and to get selected by England first, but there’s no reason for me not to aim high and work as hard as I possibly can.”

Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson added: “Archie came in from Luctonians on a week?long trial and we liked him straight away. From the first moment he showed a real feel for the game – he got stuck in, wanted to help out, was keen to learn and was desperate to test himself at the top level.

“Since then, we’ve just seen more and more of that. He’s an important part of our group and very much on the journey with us.

“He’s worked incredibly hard on the training pitch and during his time in the CHAMP with Bedford, pushing himself to improve, and that’s starting to pay dividends with more game?time for Saints. Importantly, there’s still plenty of growth left in him.”

“He’s a very diligent young man, he’s tough, and he cares hugely about what we’re trying to do here. Archie had perhaps fallen out of love with rugby for a period, but really enjoyed his time at Luctonians, and it was Jim Henry who initially noticed him there and flagged him to our coaching group. It’s a great reminder that there are still hidden gems out there, and with the right mindset and capability, players can make the step up.

“On the field, he’s excellent in the air and you’ve seen how effective he’s been in the PREM Rugby Cup recently. He’s always at it on the pitch – aggressive, competitive, and desperate to be involved – and those are qualities we really value.”