Ex-England star Lawes to play in France from next season

Former England flanker Courtney Lawes will leave Northampton and join CA Brive in the French second division at the end of the season.

Lawes, 35, retired from international duty after the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France having won 105 caps for his country.

He has played more than 270 times for Northampton since his debut in 2007 and said it was a difficult decision to leave his hometown club.

“I would like to make it clear that I would have really liked to end my career as a one-club man, and the Saints have done absolutely everything they could to make that happen – our conversations have all been very positive,” Lawes said.

“But first and foremost, I need to make sure my family and I are in the best possible position for my retirement, which will be within the next two years.

“This is probably the last contract I will sign, and the offer I received to play abroad will be transformational for my family, so I could not refuse it and I made the decision to away from Northampton.”

Lawes and Northampton won the Premiership Rugby title in 2014 and are top of the table after 12 games this season.

“I'm very grateful for everything the Saints have given me. I'm grateful to have had the opportunity to play for my hometown for so long, and the fans have been incredible through it all – in the good times and in bad times.”, Lawes added.

“I've been through it all with the Saints and I just hope my efforts on the pitch have reflected my appreciation for the Club. It's obviously incredibly sad for me to leave, but at the end of the day I know I leaves the Saints in very good condition. on and off the field with the players, coaches and staff that we have.”

With England, Lawes won three Six Nations titles, including a Grand Slam in 2016, and was part of the team that reached the 2019 Rugby World Cup final in Japan, where they lost to South Africa.