Lawes made his debut for the Saints in 2007
Courtney Lawes will leave Northampton Saints after 17 years to join French club Brive at the end of the season.
Lawes has only ever played for the Saints in his senior career, making his debut for the Premiership club in 2007. The 35-year-old back row retired from England duty at the conclusion of the 2023 Rugby World Cup.
Read more: Courtney Lawes retires from England duty
Lawes has made it clear he wanted to remain a one club man but the deal with Brive is transformational for his family.
“There was no way I could turn it down and I took the decision to move away from Northampton,” he said.
“I’m so grateful for everything that Saints has given to me. I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to play so long for my hometown, and the supporters have been amazing through it all – in both the good times and the bad.
“I’ve been through it all with Saints and I just hope that my efforts on the pitch have reflected my appreciation for the Club. It’s obviously incredibly sad for me to be leaving, but ultimately, I know I am leaving Saints in really good hands on and off the pitch with the players, coaches and staff we have.”
During his time at the club Lawes has won the Premiership, Anglo-Welsh Cup and Challenge Cup. There is a chance Lawes could leave with more silverware as the club remain in European competition and are currently top of the Premiership.
Lawes added: “I’ve always given everything I have to the Club, and that’s only going to continue for these final few months in Black, Green and Gold.
“We’ve got a brilliant opportunity to go and do something amazing this season, and it would be fantastic to leave on the high note of winning a trophy, so I’ll be giving it my all to achieve that.”
Lawes is the latest Saint to announce his departure. Lewis Ludlam has already said he is leaving the club at the end of the season to join French outfit Toulon.
Former Saint David Ribbans left last season to join Toulon.
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