Departing Darbon Reflects with Pride on Saints’ Accomplishments

Mark Darbon, the departing chief executive of Northampton Saints, has expressed his “pride” regarding the club’s accomplishments throughout his period in charge. Darbon, who commenced his role with the club in 2017, presided over the Premiership victory in the most recent season, the Premiership Rugby Cup in the 2018-19 season, and a club-record turnover approaching £22m. The 45-year-old executive revealed in July his intention to depart the club in November to assume a new position as chief executive of the R&A, which is the governing body for golf. In an interview with BBC Radio Northampton, Mark Darbon stated: “I think what I’m most proud of is how we won the Premiership. We did it with a young, home-grown squad that we’d been building for a number of seasons, and we were in the bottom third of spenders in the league.” While Darbon was leading the organization, the club established collaborations with the Bedford Blues and Loughborough Lightning teams, and is currently planning both a hotel development and a new club crest. Furthermore, Northampton Saints is slated to serve as one of the host locations for the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup. Darbon expressed that it felt “really strange” no longer being employed at the club. He further commented: “I’ve loved my time there, mainly because of the people.” He continued: “It’s been a really important part of my life. I’m a lifelong fan, and the same will be true of my family.” Darbon concluded by saying: “I’m missing [the job] already.” For updates on Northamptonshire news, follow BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding our external linking policy is available.