Harlequins sign England’s George Furbank from Northampton Saints
Harlequins have signed England full-back George Furbank from Premiership rivals Northampton Saints ahead of next season.
The 29-year-old departs Franklin’s Gardens after spending nearly a decade in the first team, having originally joined the club’s youth setup as a teenager.
His arrival in southwest London is viewed as a major acquisition for a side aiming to rebuild under recently appointed permanent head coach Jason Gilmore.
Quins have endured a difficult domestic campaign and were eliminated from the Investec Champions Cup by Sale Sharks in the last 16 on Saturday.
‘Time to step out of my comfort zone’
Furbank believes the move will reinvigorate his career as he looks forward to forging a playmaking partnership with fly-half Marcus Smith.
I am incredibly excited to be joining Harlequins next season. The Stoop is a brilliant place to play – it always has a great atmosphere.
I have been at Saints since I was 14-15 years old so it will be a different challenge, but I am keen to step out of my comfort zone.
The former Saints captain added that he shares a very similar philosophy with Gilmore on how rugby should be played.
England ambitions and Northampton’s future
Despite being included in Steve Borthwick’s recent Six Nations squad, the versatile back did not feature in the tournament amid concerns over his match sharpness following recent injury struggles.
However, his club form has been impressive of late, culminating in a try-scoring performance as Northampton defeated Castres to secure a Champions Cup quarter-final against Bath.
Saints have prepared for his eventual departure by securing long-term contracts for key players including Alex Mitchell, Fin Smith and Alex Coles.
The East Midlands outfit remain confident in their existing backline options, with George Hendy, Edoardo Todaro and highly-rated academy prospect James Pater ready to step up.
