Leftheri Zigiriadis will join Northampton Saints next season

Northampton Saints can today announce that loosehead prop Leftheri Zigiriadis will join the Club ahead of the 2026/27 season.

The 24-year-old, also known as ‘Lefty’, arrives at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens from Ealing Trailfinders, having made 30 appearances to date for the current CHAMP leaders.

Saints supporters were given an early glimpse of Zigiriadis last season when he featured for Trailfinders at cinch Stadium in the Premiership Rugby Cup quarter-final, scoring one of Ealing’s tries in the contest.

South African-born Zigiriadis is now ready to take the next step in his career, with the front-rower set to test himself in the Gallagher PREM for the first time.

“I came to the UK from South Africa with one clear goal in mind: to play rugby at the highest level,” said Zigiriadis. “For me, there is no bigger Club in England than Northampton to help me achieve that.

“The quality of the coaches here, the facilities, and the overall environment give me the perfect opportunity to put my best foot forward and keep developing as a player.

“Northampton have arguably the best group of props in the PREM, and I’m really excited to be around players like that every day. If you want to play at the top level, you have to learn from the best, and as a developing prop you honestly couldn’t ask for a better environment.

“My last experience at cinch Stadium at Franklin’s Gardens really stayed with me. When I played here last season, the atmosphere, the noise from the supporters, and the feeling around the stadium made a big impression on me. We also came back in preseason for a training day, and being around the Club again really sparked something and made me want it even more.

“I’ll always be grateful to Ealing for the opportunity they gave me, both academically and professionally. Without them, none of this would have been possible, and I’m fully focused on helping them finish top of the CHAMP this season.

“But I’m hugely excited about the challenge of the Gallagher PREM and can’t wait to get started next season.”

Born in Pretoria, Zigiriadis attended Waterkloof Primary and Hilton College in South Africa before moving to the UK to join the Trailfinders Rugby Academy. He spent three years within Ealing’s system while studying Economics and Accounting at Brunel University, later completing a Masters in Banking and Finance.

The loosehead flourished in the university environment, playing a key role in Brunel’s run to the BUCS play-offs and earning the Players’ Player of the Year award for the Men’s Academy at Trailfinders in 2023.

Zigiriadis made his senior debut for Ealing in March 2023 in a 50-12 victory over Cornish Pirates, before spending the 2023/24 campaign on loan in Cornwall. He featured 19 times across the CHAMP and PREM Rugby Cup for Pirates, winning the club’s Player of the Year award, before returning to Trailfinders last term.

The prop enjoyed his most productive season in an Ealing shirt to date in 2024/25, making 22 appearances. Seven outings this season have taken his overall tally for Trailfinders to 30 appearances.

And Saints’ Director of Rugby, Phil Dowson, is looking forward to seeing what Zigiriadis can achieve in Northampton.

“Lefty is someone who has played a lot of rugby in the Championship, and played very well, which caught our attention,” he said. “When we then met him and spent some time talking about his ambitions, it was clear how driven he is to push himself to the very highest level.

“We really liked him as both a player and a person. He’s got a huge amount of energy, a real appetite to improve, and we think he has a very high ceiling. He’s someone we’re genuinely excited to bring into our environment.

“For a young prop, being able to compete consistently in the Championship is a really good indicator, and we’ve seen plenty of players make the step-up from the second tier successfully here in the past. We’re excited about where Lefty can get to and what he can become at this Club.

“From a rugby point of view, the set-piece is obviously fundamental for a prop, and Lefty already has a strong base at scrum time. Working closely with Jaco [Pienaar] will be a big benefit for him.

“But he also offers a lot around the park – he enjoys carrying the ball, wants to be involved, and is athletic. He’s someone who wants to have an impact on the game, and that’s a quality we really value.”