New Northampton Saints rugby training centre approved

Work on the new indoor training facility is expected to begin next month

A Premiership rugby club is to get a new indoor training centre at its stadium after plans were approved.

Northampton Saints High Performance Centre will be based to the south of Cinch Stadium at Franklin's Gardens, providing year-round training facilities for the playing squad.

The plans have been approved in principle by West Northamptonshire Council.

Work is expected to begin in late June and finish during the 2022/23 season.

The centre will be constructed on a section of one of the club's existing outdoor pitches.

Mark Darbon, chief executive at Northampton Saints, said: "This will be a major build - the first of this scale at the club for many years.

"While we are already very proud of our home, we must continue to invest in our facilities to underpin our ambition to be successful at the very top of our sport and attract some of the best players in the world."