Goodbye, Good Luck - and Thank You!

Although the departures at the end of the 2023/24 season of Owen Farrell plus Mako, Billy and Manu Vunipola  have understandably  captured the headlines, there has been quite a long list of other leavers, some through “natural retirement”, some, sadly, enforced while others are leaving to continue their careers elsewhere, either within the English game or, as has become quite prevalent in recent times, abroad.

Perhaps the highest-profile leaver apart from Owen, Mako and Billy is Sean Maitland, who has retired from the professional game at the age of 35; Sean had been an integral part of our senior squad since arriving from London Irish in the summer of 2016, having started his career with Crusaders in his native New Zealand before moving on to Glasgow Warriors, qualifying for Scotland through his Scottish grandparents and enjoying an eight-year international career. One of the classiest operators in the sport who made everything look effortless, Sean could play anywhere across the back three and in his eight years at Sarries made 147 appearances and, although missing the 2016-17 Champions Cup Final through injury, more than made up for that disappointment by scoring in the 2018-19 final against Leinster and also picking up Premiership gongs in 2017-18, 2018-19 and 2022-23 plus a Championship medal in 2020-21. Sadly, an injury in the warm-up before that critical last regular-season game against Sale Sharks saw Sean’s long and successful career end earlier thsn planned and on a disappointing note.

Another winger who arrived at Sarries from London Irish, two years after Sean in 2018, Alex Lewington proved himself another integral part of the squad at StoneX,  a deadly finisher whose speciality was chasing down loose balls, and indeed lost causes, frequently proving a nightmare for defenders.  Alex had started his professional rugby career with Leicester Tigers (after time as youngster in the Notts County FC Academy), also enjoying a loan spell with his home-town club, Nottingham, before moving on to London Irish where he notched up a century of appearances  before emulating that appearance record in the black and red. “Lewie” played his full part in the squad that won the Champions Cup and Premiership double in 2018-19, a further domestic title in 2022-23, and the Championship in 2020-21. Although still at the height of his powers and only 32, Alex has decided to retire from rugby and take up a career opportunity outside the sport, bowing out at he end of May after scoring in the 22-20 semi-final defeat at Franklins Gardens.

Tragically, a number of players have had to retire from professional rugby through injury, all at far too young an age:

Tom Woolstencroft, the hooker known to all as Woolfie, was a recruit from London Irish alongside Alex Lewington in 2018 having begun his rugby career with Bath in his native West Country, before moving to Irish in 2014, where he had a spell on loan at Rosslyn Park, before establishing himself in the senior squad ahead of a move to Sarries where he soon became a respected figure,  winning Premiership honours in 2018-19 2022-23 , captaining Sarries on a number of occasions and scoring prolifically in 85 appearances, also winning Championship honours in 2020-21. Having spent most of the 2023-24 campaign trying to recover from concussion, Tom has been forced to retire from the game on medical grounds at the age of 29.

Some players are persistently and desperately unlucky with injuries, and none more so than Ralph Adams-Hale. A product of Harpenden FC, Ralph was very much own of our own, rising through the ranks since the age of 16 to become a loosehead considered by many as Mako’s potential  long-term successor,  and marking the start of what at the time looked to be a glittering career by swaggering from the bench in the 2018-29 Premiership final, putting himself about and bullying Exeter as if born to the big stage. Sadly, though, an accumulation of injuries including shoulder ad ankle problems, restricted his first XV appearances to just 29 games and this year, after repeated attempts to return to action, the heartbreaking decision was made to call time on his career at 27, when he should have been entering his peak years.

An even younger enforced retiree is the 6 foot 10 second rower Cameron Boon, who has been forced to end his rugby career at the age of only 24 following persistent back problems.  Cameron, dually qualified internationally, had the distinction of playing for both England and Ireland U18s, as well as enjoying a development spell in Australia with Eastwood, and was considered a highly promising line-out specialist. Cameron made 11 first-team appearances, with a highlight being his try against Exeter in 2020.

To all of our players who have retired, we thank you and wish every one of you success wherever life takes you post-rugby. 

As the Sarries squad evolves with five new players coming into the club at senior level alongside a raft of promotions into the Academy, a number of the senior squad have left StoneX to pursue their careers elsewhere – some we may well see again!

The most surprising perhaps is Callum Hunter-Hill, 27, who leaves Sarries after five years as a respected squad member and highly regarded second rower, having arrived at StoneX in 2019 from Edinburgh, initially on an Academy Loan basis before signing on permanently. Callum won Premiership honours in 2022-23, and will continue his career from next season with Northampton Saints.

Joining Callum at Franklins Gardens will be prop Tom West, 28, who joined Sarries last year after a brief spell at Leicester Tigers following the demise of Wasps in 2022.

Another highly popular figure leaving StoneX is The Judge himself, Christian Judge, 31, who has ended his second spell with Sarries and will join French club Beziers. After a very successful loan spell with us in 2018-19 when he picked up a Premiership medal, Christian honoured a commitment to join Bath at the end of his time in North London before moving on to Worcester Warriors. Sarries were delighted to take the chance to re-sign Christian in 2022, and in his second period with us he won another Premiership in 2022-23.

Dom Morris, 26 and a lifelong Sarries fan, leaves this summer although his destination has at the time of writing still to be confirmed. Dom had come through the Academy at StoneX, and played the last of his 61 games in the black and red in 2022-23, having spent last season in South Wales on loan at Ospreys. Dom, a class act known for his speed and footwork, will hopefully find a new stage befitting his undoubted ability.  

Following Dom out of North London will be Ollie Stonham, a highly versatile second and back rower who at the age of 23 and with 24 games for Sarries behind him will join Japanese club Kubata Spears. I have a slight feeling we may see the highly-regarded Ollie back at StoneX……

Pacy winger Ben Harris, 24 and known mainly as a Sevens player - representing Great Britain in the 2020 Olympics - joined Sarries in 2020, following in the footsteps of Mike Ellery by trying his hand in the XV format. Ben has found opportunities limited at Sarries, making 20 appearances during his time at StoneX. Ealing Trailfinders have been fortunate enough to secure Ben’s services and with regular game time he will undoubtedly be scoring for fun next season.

Logovi’i Mulipola, the powerhouse Samoan international prop who joined Sarries as short-term squad cover at the end of 2023 and did a fine job in the games he played for us, has joined Doncaster Knights.

Fly-half Tim Swiel, another short-term signing early this year, has also left Sarries.

To all the leavers who will be continuing their careers elsewhere, whether you've been long-term Sarries or short-term signings, we thank you all and wish each and every one of you nothing but success in the next jersey you wear....unless you're playing against us!!