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Northampton Saints hooker Tom Cruse to retire at end of season
Northampton Saints hooker Tom Cruse has joined the contingent of front-rows at Franklin’s Gardens to announce their retirement at the end of the season.
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The 35-year-old follows props Alex and Ethan Waller in confirming this will be his last season of professional rugby, as director of rugby Phil Dowson is set to see a number of players leave.
Cruse joined the Saints midway through last season following a short stint at Edinburgh. He moved to the Scottish capital shortly after his previous club Wasps went into liquidation.
It was with Wasps that the hooker found the most success in his career, making 114 appearances for them and being named players’ player of the season in 2018.
He has made 14 appearances for Northampton so far since joining in January 2023.
In a statement on social media, he said that the “job is not done yet” with the Saints competing on both a domestic and European front. He wrote: “Now is the right time to announce my retirement from professional rugby,” said Cruse. “I’m eternally grateful to Northampton Saints for extending a lifeline after the unfortunate demise of Wasps.
“I have loved my time here at Saints, met some amazing people, and learned valuable lessons which will no doubt help me as I move into a new chapter.
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“My route to the Premiership was unconventional. It took me seven years to get from an 18-year-old playing for my local club Stockport, to making my Premiership debut with London Irish at 25.
“Wasps came next, and became a place that my family and I would call home for the next seven years. I was lucky enough to be a part of two Premiership finals, one Premiership semi-final and a European semi-final. I was part of some amazing teams in that time, sharing the field with some incredible people.
“And though that experience of the end still carries over to this day – I can still hear the gasp in the room as the administrator explained the inevitable – I’m grateful for every minute I got to play in a Wasps jersey.
“Since then, after enjoyable stints with the Barbarians and Edinburgh, I found my way to Saints. What an incredible Club. Top to bottom it is full of great people, all pulling in the same direction. Getting to captain the side against the Barbarians and having my children join me as mascots against Sale last month are particular highlights.
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“Truly I have too many people to thank. First, my wife, Jess, and children, Matilda, Charlie, and Finlay, for their unconditional love and support. And my mum and dad for giving me the opportunity to do all of this.
“It’s also important to mention the big influences on my professional career. My agent Marc Baldrey who has been with me from start to finish, I couldn’t ask for a better person to have had with me along the way. Lee Blackett who took a chance on a young hooker at Rotherham Titans, and went on to coach me for a further eight years. Dai Young who gave me my first consistent run in the Premiership and, of course, Phil Dowson who has given me the chance to carry on playing as I close out my career, for which I am extremely grateful.
Been a blast ! @SaintsRugby pic.twitter.com/CKgJiVcd4b
— Tom Cruse (@Cruse_dog) April 4, 2024
“But most importantly the job is not done yet, the hard work continues for the rest of the season. I’m really excited to see what we can do as a group in the coming months.”
Dowson added: “Tom came in here at a time when we needed some cover at hooker, and what people won’t necessarily realise from the outside is how good he is with the group.
“He’s such a fantastic leader, somebody who always put the team first, and he has tonnes of experience which he’s been happy to pass on to the younger players.
“His communication skills on the pitch and in training, his attitude to training and getting better – even when he has not been playing regularly – has been exemplary. To have a senior head like him in that group, developing his peers and driving standards, it really helps to bring those younger lads through.
“Tom is a great Saints man who puts the team first, and whenever he gets the chance to play, he goes as hard as he possibly can and has put in great performances for the Club.
“We’ll miss him around the camp, and of course wish him and his young family all the very best for the future away from rugby.”
Comments on RugbyPass
Great role model.
2 Go to commentsOne significant tell, not a single Waratahs player stopped to whinge to the ref about Finau’s tackle. They got on with playing the game. Great tackle.
8 Go to commentsWouldn’t be a bad move if Ireland pulled into SA with a young side. Particularly in Pretoria. Invaluable experience getting thumped in the bosveld.
59 Go to commentsIreland. The Princess Diana of Rugby. I never cheered so much for a team as i did for the All Blacks in that QF.
59 Go to commentsWill be great to see the Leinster first XV back in action again after their cotton wool time…
1 Go to commentsLooked up Grant Constable on google and reply was doppelgänger for Ben Smith
59 Go to commentsIt is so good that we now all get excited and debate who is best and emotionally get involved. We all back our teams which is great. Up until about 15-20 years ago, NZ was basically on its own, and then Saffa, Aussie and sometimes French and English were there. We now have at least 5-6 really top sides and another 4 who keep improving. This is so healthy. So we should not resort to rubbish comments and unhealthy debate, but rather all be chuffed that the product we watch is not competitive, exciting and often uncertain. It would be so good if World Rugger could find a way to align the rules to professional players as well as spectators. Live rugby games are SO boring as there is SO much down time as we wait for refs and TMOs and whoever else to look at every small event going back endless phases with the hope of eventually find a minute infringement to then decide cancel what was a wonderful try. This is the ultimate cork back in the bottle moment and feels like every balloon is always being popped. Come on- we must be better with the rules.
59 Go to comments“upon leaving said establishment I tripped over a stool knocking some bottles into the air and as I fell I accidently dislodged a police officer’s teaser who was passing by on an unrelated matter there by landing on said taser which caused it to discharge 50,000 watts into me. Out of shock I shouted Ireland are going to win the world cup. Upon waking up I apologised for the distress caused by my Ireland comment. The matter is closed. If you wish to pursue this matter may I remind you what I told Wayne Barnes when he sent me off. I AM A BIG ASS MAN”. Or was it “I AM A BIG ASS, MAN” or was it “I AM A BIG ASSMAN”?
2 Go to commentsThe only championship the Boks hold are: Great value for the incompetence of referees during the RWC Moaning endlessly and champions of spewing utterly ignorant 💩 at all times. Displaying the dangers of a third world education End of.
59 Go to commentsSouth Africa and Rassie do a phenomenal job of treating the 4 years in between World Cups as nothing more than a training exercise to build squad depth. The Six Nations money that keeps Irish rugby afloat is unfortunately too important to allow the same approach, and basic population size means we'll never get close to matching the depth of South Africa, England and France. That being said, Irish rugby is in a relatively good place and slowly improving inch by inch. If the other three provinces can pull the finger out and actually develop some players it'd be even better.
59 Go to commentsGood on Clarke for taking on the criticism and addressing his deficiencies, principally his laziness.
2 Go to comments“It is the people’s favourite against the actual favourite. It is the people’s champions against the actual champions. I’m joking, but it’s going to be a fantastic series.” Why did Darcy make that joke knowing it would be used as click bait? Why did RP headline it as a serious comment? Anyway, the tired comment isn’t very astute. SA players may have played more games etc. Darcy over estimated as a pundit.
59 Go to commentsNot sure Frisch will ever make the French team with Depoortère and Costes waiting in the wings to take over from Danty and Fickou.
1 Go to commentsThe Irish are tired and the Boks are old. The test series won't confirm who is best in the world, it will confirm which team needs to pursue the task of rebuilding with the most urgency.
59 Go to commentsGrant, the first time I have seen an article written by you. Maybe I have missed your previous stuff. These days all professional players effectively play a common season so all top players are equally tired, or rested. That is the job of the coaching ticket to build squad depth and juggle resources so players are ‘ fresh’ when the big games come. Possibly Ireland are less inclined to juggle squad compared to Rassie, who is prepared to take the risk to rest players as well as build depth throughout the year so come WC he has a full squad, experienced and rested enough to win 7 games. After all, to win WC you need to get through the tournament and then win the final big 3 games. Ireland should try and build a bit so come final 3 they are ready. So far only played final 1(QF). I am so looking forward to the Irish tour. Hopefully Rassie has enough time to align his guys, as he draws them from across the globe, and not from 2 sides locally( eg Leinster, Munster). No excuses, going to be exciting.
59 Go to commentsIn football, teams get fined and sometimes docked points for deliberately fielding weakened teams yet Leinster can pretty much do as they please with no comebacks. Could it be because Ireland run the URC? Could it be that Ireland run the ERC? Whichever it is, it stinks!!
6 Go to commentsIreland are only the People’s Champions in Irish eyes. The rest of the world do not care for them very much because of attitudes of people like Gordon, Ferris, Best, Jackman…I could go on!!
59 Go to commentsNot sure how Karl Dickson can ever ref a Quins game, he played for the club for 8 years as understudy to Care and is still close friends with half the team
3 Go to commentsAre bookies taking bets on how many times Vunipola's eventual statement will use the term “elders"? My money is on at least 4 times.
4 Go to commentsSo Ireland will be tired, despite having the most rested test squad in the world. They only play tests, champions cup and urc play off games ffs! Case in point; Leinster sent a B squad to SA for their last two games while their first xv rested up and trained at their leisure for the sf vs Saints at the so called ‘neutral venue’ of Croke Park. So tired? Do me a favour… And as for “people’s champions”? Seriously??? Outside of Ireland they are respected for their ability to win 6N. And of course plenty of inconsequential test friendlies without any real pressure. WC ko games when the pressure is white hot? Not so much…
59 Go to comments