A dedicated rugby fan has gone through the pain of getting his club’s new crest tattooed on his leg, right next to the old design he had inked a decade ago.
Simon Stacey, 42, was surprised when he learned about Northampton Saints’ updated insignia, as he hadn’t expected to need another club tattoo so soon.
Saints’ CEO, Mark Darbon, covered the cost of the new tattoo after telling BBC Radio Northampton that he hadn’t realized anyone had already been inked with the old crest.
Stacey, who hails from Desborough in Northamptonshire, expressed his satisfaction, saying, “It looks amazing, I’m really happy with it. It did hurt a bit, but it was worth it.”
The Northampton Saints, who clinched their first Premiership title in a decade in June 2024, decided to redesign their crest, which had been in place since 1984, to better reflect the club’s history.
The newly unveiled design includes the club’s colors, the year Saints began playing, and a cross, which was seen on players’ shirts in a photograph from the 1880s.
Tattoo artist Lorand Szacaks at Northampton’s Revelation Tattoo Studio spent about three hours completing the new badge on Stacey’s leg.
Stacey said he is pleased with the new design and understands why the Saints decided to make the change.