Early years

The team was founded in 1880 under the original name of St. James Northampton (Saints, saints in English) Reverend Samuel Wath WIGGER, a local clergy and priest of Saint James (St. James) who lived in the nearby village of Milton Malsor. Hence the two names receiving the club The Saints (Saints) or Jimmie. In the spirit of the Reverend was the promotion "orderly" in their younger patrons, creating a rugby club, with the philosophy that a "violent sport to transform the gentleman."
In no time, since its foundation, Northampton had one of the biggest teams (in number of players) England rugby XV. Twenty years after its founding, the local grangero Harry Weston was awarded with an international selection of English rugby, being the first player from the Saints to get this honor.
Through the early years of the twentieth century, the club thanks to the progress being made by the player Domain Edgar Mobbs. Edgar was a hero to the people because it was the first Northampton player to capitaneo selection English, although he is more remembered for his heroic actions during the First World War. After being initially rejected in the recruitment for being too old, Edgar erected their own Deportitas Battalion, also known as Mobbs Own (Property Mobbs). Sadly died in battle, leading his battalion to the front after kicking a rugby ball inside the area free of the men July 29, 1917, by a machine gun attack and his body was never found. Due to this tragic event, the club hosted the Mobbs Memorial Match, which was as a tribute to his players, which is played every year since 1921 between the East Midlands and the Barbarians at Franklin's Gardens.
During the war (after WWII) the Saints continued to grow and began to produce some of the best players from England, some of whom came to his selection to captain. Thus becoming one of the leading British teams during the next 60 years. Quarry out of its players like Butterfield, Jeeps, Longland, White and Jacobs but times were difficult to reach.
A few years after its golden age, the club failed to keep pace with the movements that are experienced within the game and the best players were attracted by the idea of calling in the club of Franklin's Gardens, where he had established a culture " them and us "(" for them and us ") between the players and those who were in charge of the club. Some former players formed their own task force that swept the old guard in the "Saints Revolution" (Revolution of the Saints) in 1988 and put into action a plan designed to return the club to the top of the English competitions .
Barry Corless, as sports director to restructure the club and soon the Saints picked up again, helped by the All Blacks legend Wayne 'Buck' Shelford.
In 1990, Northampton Rugby Union Football Club was the then First Division (First Division) and the following year made his first trip to Twickenham to play the final of the Anglo-Welsh Cup against the Quins. They lost in extra time but showed the team's resurgence as a market would be a few seasons later.
Ian Hunter and Tim Rodber forced his team came to England while young as Matt Dawson and Nick Beal came to the selection.
In 1994, Ian McGeechan became the Director of Rugby, and although the club fell in his first season as coach, they returned the next season to move up, winning every game of their campaign with advantages of 50 points per game. For many fans this season known as the "Demolition Tour of Division Two" (Wrecking Tour by Second Division).