Suffolk rugby talent Tui Uru has signed for the Northampton Saints.

East Anglian Daily Times: Tui Uru in action for England Counties under 20s against Nottingham Academy. Picture: www.itmrepublic.comTui Uru in action for England Counties under 20s against Nottingham Academy. Picture: www.itmrepublic.com (Image: Archant)

The 21-year-old Fiji-born back rower has played for Bury St Edmunds in National League Two for the last two seasons after making the move from Ipswich in 2017.

Uru, who plays at No.8, is a regular member of the Eastern Counties set-up and has also represented England Counties at under-20s level in his fledgling career so far.

The former Leiston High School and Farlingaye Sixth Form student will start in the Northampton Academy as he builds towards his dream of playing pro rugby.

“I am delighted to be joining Northampton Saints, and to get the opportunity to develop as a player using the wonderful facilities at Franklin Gardens,” he said.

MORE: ‘I reckon I can play pro rugby’ - Uru picked for England Counties side

“It’s clear that Chris Boyd is looking to bring through young players through at the club which is really exciting to be a part of, and I’m looking forward to working with him and the rest of the squad from the start of pre-season.”

It’s the latest step forward for Uru in an unlikely rise up the ranks of the game – he was originally picked for the England Counties side as an amateur rugby player after impressing against those from pro backgrounds and Premiership academies.

And academy manager Simon Sinclair is relishing the prospect of seeing how far the ball-carrying No.8 can develop once he is introduced into a full-time environment at Saints.

He said: “Tui has enormous potential and the thing that has impressed me most about him is his attitude; he’s humble and dedicated to becoming a better player.

“He has strong attributes for a No.8 – he carries hard, he’s quick from the base, and his soft skills are impressive.

“He trains every day before going to a full-time job, in addition to his rugby training with Bury St Edmunds, so we’re extremely excited to see how far he can go within a professional set-up here in Northampton.”