Hooker Dan Richmond will quit Northampton Saints at the end of the season.
Northampton Saints hooker Dan Richmond has announced he will leave the club at the end of the season.
Richmond has found his first-team opportunities increasingly limited at Franklin's Gardens, where he has plied his trade for the past nine years.
Rising through the Academy, he made his debut in the Tetley's Bitter Cup in November 2000, before going on to make 118 appearances.
The 28-year-old leaves with fond memories, admitting the club has moved forward just a touch since he first joined.
"When I left school all I wanted to be was a professional rugby player," he told the club website. "And when Brett Taylor brought me to Franklin's Gardens the Saints gave me the opportunity to achieve that.
"There have been a lot of changes at the club in my time here. All you have to do is look around the ground to see that!
"But I've played alongside some amazing world class players, run out at Twickenham and played my hundredth game - every one of which has been special."
Richmond admits he is now very interested in becoming a coach, and Saints boss Paul Grayson paid tribute to the quality of his former team-mate.
"Dan's been a big part of the club for nine years," said Grayson. "I played a lot of games with him.
"His competitive nature has kept him in professional rugby for a long time. He's a good player and I wish him well for the future."
