Northampton Saints to redesign crest used since 1950s

Northampton Saints have used their current crest on their kit since 1984

A rugby club has announced it will make changes to its crest for the first time since 1951.

Northampton Saints decided to redesign the logo following a number of research studies and supporter surveys.

It explained the current crest is too intricate to work digitally, lacks the club colours and some supporters could not recall the design when asked.

The club said it plans to launch its new visual identity and crest in the summer of 2024.

In a letter to supporters chief executive Mark Darbon explained the changes are to "futureproof the visual identity of Northampton Saints".

He wrote: "If you look across the globe, the most popular and successful sports teams and organisations have clear visual identities, which are both immediately recognisable and highly memorable.

"The sport of rugby, specifically, faces several clear awareness and appeal challenges, so, more than ever before, we need our own visual identity to appeal to the next generation of supporters, whilst respecting the rich history of our Club."

The club said their colours of green, black and gold are not showcased adequately enough in the current crest design

The club was founded in 1880 without a crest by Rev Samuel Wathen Wigg.

In the 1930s, the Arms of Northampton Borough had begun to be used on some club documents.

That design was used as the basis for a club crest designed by students from Northampton Technical College in 1951 before first appearing on playing kits in 1984.

In his letter, Mr Darbon said that design "was done so without any reference to the unique history of the Club itself".

The club said the new design would honour the "past whilst looking ahead to the future".

Club historian Graham McKechnie and the foundation's Heritage team was consulted during the research process.

The chief executive assured fans "that the history and tradition of Northampton Saints remains of the utmost importance to us".

He added: "From the club's owners, board members, players, and staff, there is a lot of enthusiasm for this project and we're excited to reveal more in the summer of 2024."