Jubilant Saints fans pack town for victory parade
Northampton town centre was transformed into a sea of black, green and gold as thousands of Saints fans gathered for a victory parade.
Saints beat Exeter Chiefs 26-17 at Twickenham to secure their third Premiership title, their second in three years.
An open-top bus carrying the squad set off from Franklin's Gardens at 14:00 BST, travelling along Weedon Road, Mare Fair and Gold Street before arriving at the Guildhall about 45 minutes later.
Players addressed the crowd on stage and lifted the trophy to ecstatic cheers from fans, many of whom described the weekend as "amazing", while another said she had been "crying with pride".
Phil Dowson's side won 14 of their 18 games this season in a remarkable turnaround after finishing eighth in the previous campaign.
Mayor of Northampton, Mike Hallam, as well as players' families joined the celebrations, which also featured live music performances.
It was also a poignant send-off for departing captain George Furbank, who is leaving the club after a decade to join Harlequins.
The 29-year-old addressed the crowd and said his time at Franklin's Gardens had been "a dream".
"It's been a privilege and I'm going to miss you lot next year," he said.
"I didn't know how to feel after the final whistle, there was sadness, joy and relief."
His father Tim Furbank described the moment as "incredibly emotional".
Father of Saints fly-half Fin Smith, Andrew Smith, said the atmosphere in Northampton had been amazing.
"It is great for the parents to be here all together... and they have done it again," he said.
On Saturday, Northampton director of rugby Phil Dowson told BBC Sport: "We were outstanding throughout the season, it's nice now to be able to put a full stop on it with a big tin cup and say 'we were the best side in the league'".
Do you have a story suggestion for Northamptonshire? Contact us below.
Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
