Josh Kemeny admits to 'draw factor' of end-of-season Northampton exit

Josh Kemeny, who is coming into the final six months of his contract, admits that he doesn’t know if he will still be at Northampton Saints next season.

Kemeny, 27, the nephew of Australian TV presenter Lara Pitt, made the shock move to Franklin’s Gardens from Melbourne Rebels in 2024, signing a two-year deal after England flanker Lewis Ludlam joined Toulon.

He started his career with Sydney in Australia’s National Rugby Championship before moving to the Rebels, where he played 38 games, before moving to Saints, where he has played 27 times.

Kemeny, who made his Wallabies debut against Argentina in 2023, with a second cap coming against Portugal during the World Cup later that year, has made no secret of wanting to win more caps.

“I got a taste of it [international rugby] – it’s always been a goal of mine, and now it’s a bit more feasible whilst not being in Australia,” he told the BBC earlier this season.

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Rugby Australia earlier this year scrapped ‘Giteau’s Law’, which had placed restrictions on the Wallabies’ ability to select overseas-based players.

Joe Schmidt said he favoured players playing at Super Rugby franchises if they are of “equal calibre” to those playing overseas, and if incoming boss Les Kiss thinks the same way, it might be more favourable to return home.

“I signed a two-year contract, which makes me out of contract this summer, but things have been going really well in the sense that I’m really enjoying it here. It’s been good.

“There is always the draw factor of going back home, whether that’s from family, international aspirations and all that sort of stuff. I’m not sure what my next move is.

“All I know is I’m happy, and my family is happy, so we will. We have definitely been in touch, and things are positive. But it’s a complex thing that doesn’t happen at the drop of a hat. So will see,” he told RugbyPass.