Northampton Saints has today announced new deals with 11 members of the current squad.

Three of the more experienced players, lock Christian Day (203 appearances), centre Luther Burrell (112 apps) and Ken Pisi (113 apps), have been joined by some of the club’s exciting youngsters, including hookers Charlie Clare and Reece Marshall, lock Jordan Onojaife and centres Rory Hutchinson and Tom Stephenson.

Also agreeing new contracts are centre Juan Pablo Estelles, back rower Ben Nutley and scrum-half Tom Kessell.

These new nine deals add to those agreed with England’s Six Nations squad members Tom Wood and Teimana Harrison, international prop Paul Hill and Saxons back rower Jamie Gibson last summer.

Director of rugby Jim Mallinder says it is important that the Saints retain its core group players to build around in the future.

“We’re delighted to have agreed these new contracts,” he said. “Some of these players have been core members of the most successful period in the Saints’ history and we believe that they have a lot to offer both in terms of their play on the pitch and leadership qualities.

“It’s also fantastic to have a very good group of younger players who have come through the Saints Academy and are now members of the first team squad. It’s important that we produce our own home-grown players who are able to compete for starting places alongside more experienced internationals, a combination which has been successful for us in the past.

“To compete at the highest level of the competitions we play in we need a squad that has a lot of quality and strength in depth and all of these players are important members of the group we have at Franklin’s Gardens.”