'Big, strong, athletic, physical': Chunya Munga signs new Saints deal

Northampton Saints lock Chunya Munga has signed a new deal with the club.

The 24-year-old moved to Franklin’s Gardens at the beginning of last season following the demise of his former club London Irish.

The 6’ 7”, 120kg lock’s playing time was limited in his first season given the run the Saints were on, but his director of rugby Phil Dowson has praised his character during that period.

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Munga’s playing time has increased this season though, where he has captained the club in the Premiership Rugby Cup as well.

A former member of an England training squad, the lock was singled out as a “a big strong, athletic, physical type player,” by former England coach Eddie Jones.

Munga has made 24 appearances for the Saints to date, starting in their recent defeat to Gloucester.

“I’m absolutely loving my time at Saints, so staying was a very easy choice,” said Munga. “There’s a very good group of players here – but more importantly, it’s a really good group of people.

“It speaks volumes about the club’s environment that even during the periods where I wasn’t in the matchday squads last season, it was still the most fun I’ve ever had in a rugby team. Playing with a smile on my face, aiming to be the best player I can be, and making the people that love and support me proud – that’s why I love playing the game.

“The development mindset here at Saints is something I’ve enjoyed. We’re obviously aiming to get the result at the weekend, but there’s always an undertone of asking; ‘how can we get better?’ That’s something that really resonates with me, and I’m improving as a player off the back of it.

“I always used to love coming to cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens, and to have this place as my home ground now is really special.

“The people are loud, the support is fantastic. The town is so behind what we do, the fact that people are so invested gives us that extra boost.”

Dowson added: “I’ve been impressed by Chunya’s application and ambition right from the very start of his time with us.

“He’d been on our radar for a couple of years before signing, and once we got him into our environment it was clear to see how driven he is and how hard he works on his game – it’s exceptional.

“Towards the back end of last season, we were playing well and were very consistent with our selection, meaning Chunya wasn’t playing as much as he would have liked. He said to me repeatedly that he understood why, but didn’t like it, and it’s been fantastic to see him come in this year and really put his best foot forward for more minutes on the pitch.

“He’s captained Saints a couple of times in the Premiership Rugby Cup now as well. As well as helping players to improve on the pitch, we are always looking to develop leadership, and he’s definitely one of the guys who has stepped into the forefront as he drives the group well and sets a great example in how he goes about his preparation and training.

“Chunya’s a big part of the Saints family now too. He’s mature, responsible, and really good at looking out for other members of our squad – but at the same time he’s always in amongst it and having fun too.

“We love having him in the group and are excited to see what the next few years hold in store for him.”