Courtney Lawes to leave Northampton and join Brive, with the former England star tempted away from his boyhood club by a ‘transformational’ £400,000 foreign contract he couldn’t turn down

England legend Courtney Lawes has announced he will leave his boyhood club Northampton to move to Brive.

The 35-year-old, who made 105 appearances for England, was offered a contract worth more than £400,000, which was too good to turn down.

He was part of Northampton’s Premiership-winning campaign in 2014, but has also been one of his country’s standout players over the past decade.

“I want to make it clear that I would have very much wanted to end my career as a one-club man, and Saints have done absolutely everything they could to make that possible. Our conversations were all very positive,” Lawes said.

‘But first and foremost I need to ensure that my family and I are in the best possible position for my retirement, which will take place in the coming years.

Lawes was offered a contract worth over £400,000 which was too good to turn down

‘This is probably the last contract I will ever sign, and the offer I have received to play abroad will be transformative for my family, so there was no way I could turn it down and I made the decision to leave go from Northampton.’

Lawes has retired from international duty after the World Cup and is enjoying fine form for Northampton, who sit at the top of the Premier League.

He added: “I am so grateful for everything Saints has given me. I’m grateful to have played for my hometown for so long, and the supporters have been great, both in good and bad times.

‘I’ve been through it all with Saints and I only hope that my efforts on the pitch have reflected my appreciation for the Club. It is of course incredibly sad for me to leave, but ultimately I know I am leaving Saints in good hands, both on and off the pitch, with the players, coaches and staff we have.

He retired from England after the World Cup and was in good form for the Saints

‘I know they will keep going and I hope they can be the best team in England for a long time. I will always be a huge supporter of Northampton Saints.

‘I have always given everything I have to the Club, and that will only continue to be the case over the last few months in Black, Green and Gold. We have a brilliant opportunity to do something great this season, and it would be fantastic to leave on the high note of winning a trophy, so I will do everything I can to achieve that.”