Rugby club on the hunt for new hot dog mascot

The Northampton Saints club mascot is Bernie the Dog

A rugby club is on the hunt for someone who loves the sport and can stand the heat of sweating inside a furry costume for hours at a time.

For more than 20 years, Bernie the Dog has been the mascot for Premiership team Northampton Saints.

The mascot has been a staple feature of the club, and bosses are now hoping to find someone to dress up as Bernie for the 2024/25 season.

It might seem like a cool job, but whoever plays the new Bernie is likely to be a pretty hot dog in all that plush fur.

On its website, Saints said the club was looking for someone "enthusiastic, energetic, and passionate about rugby" to take on the much-loved canine persona.

The applicant should be able to perform in front of large crowds and be comfortable wearing the mascot costume for extended periods of time, they said.

The successful applicant was likely to be a "high energy" fan willing to become the "beloved" mascot Bernie, as the new season gets into full swing.

The advert also stated that Bernie must be willing to "complete any training as required for the role" – but whether that meant rugby training or puppy training was not stated.