Rugby
ESPN staff 6y

Northampton Saints sign England back row James Haskell

Rugby

James Haskell has ensured he remains available for England selection ahead of the 2019 Rugby World Cup by signing a one-year deal with Northampton Saints.

Haskell, 33, will bring an end to his second spell at Wasps when their run in the end-of-season Aviva Premiership playoffs comes to an end.

He was left out Eddie Jones' England squad for next month's tour of South Africa but still harbours ambitions of representing his country in Japan and needed to be playing for a Premiership club for that dream to become a reality.

The impending move was announced via Twitter on Monday morning as Haskell replied to a tweet from Saints asking for CVs in response to a fictional job posting.

"I'm really excited and humbled to be joining a giant of English rugby in Northampton Saints," Haskell said.

"Having had the opportunity to play against them for many years now, I know this is a club with a proud history and a set of passionate and loyal supporters who always make their presence felt.

"It's no secret that I want to continue my international career for as long as possible; the only way I can do that is by putting my best foot forward in club rugby and helping Saints fight their way back into contention for silverware.

"There's a real buzz around Franklin's Gardens at the moment with the arrival of Chris Boyd, a new coaching team being put in place and a number of top-quality players also joining the squad. I can't wait to get started in Black, Green and Gold."

Haskell, who has won 77 England caps to date, has already played his final game for Wasps at the Ricoh Arena and will hope to extend his time in Coventry for another two weeks as the club prepares for their Premiership semifinal at Saracens.

The back row spent a combined 12 years at Wasps in two spells either side of a four-year period in which he played for Stade Francais, the Ricoh Black Rams and the Highlanders.

Meanwhile, Wasps have signed former Harlequins lock Charlie Matthews and Maori All Blacks wing Ambrose Curtis, both 26, ahead of the 2018-19 season.

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