Aviva Premiership
North targets silverware with Saints
ESPN Staff
April 12, 2013
Wales' George North fights to reach the try line, Namibia v Wales, Rugby World Cup, Stadium Taranaki, New Plymouth, New Zealand, September 26, 2011
George North will hope to make a big impact at the Saints © Getty Images
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Wales winger George North is "delighted" to have finally completed his move to the Northampton Saints and has set his sights on winning some silverware at Franklin's Gardens.

North's transfer from the Scarlets to the Aviva Premiership had been in the pipeline for a while, prior to Tuesday's confirmation, and the rumours prompted the Welsh Rugby Union to hit out at the region. It accused the Scarlets of touting North, who was released from the last year of his contract to enable him to join the Saints this summer, to French clubs as they attempted to cash in on one of their star players.

The Scarlets denied this claim but did admit on Tuesday that North was the subject of an offer from a non-UK club. Instead of signing for the unnamed French side, North committed to the Saints with his agent Christian Abt describing the move as a "very difficult and emotional decision".

But with the move finally out in the open, North admits that he is looking forward to starting out with his new club after penning a three-year deal.

"I'm delighted to have made the decision and I'm very excited about the move to a new club," North told the Telegraph. "Now I can just focus on the rugby. It's a big move. Northampton have got a good squad, they've recruited really well this year and it's a club which competes regularly in the Premiership and the Heineken Cup and hopefully over the next few seasons, I can help them push on and win some silverware.

"Moving to Northampton is only going to push me as a player, challenge me and push my game forward."

The Scarlets are currently fifth in the RaboDirect PRO12 and are level on points with Munster who are fourth. They stand a good chance of making the play-offs with their final three matches seeing them come up against Glasgow, Cardiff Blues and Treviso - with all three at their Parc Y Scarlets home.

North wants to end the season on a high with the Scarlets before he makes the cross-Severn move. He added: "Hopefully, it's going to be more than three. It's a big task but if we get the right results in these next three, we've got the chance of the play-offs and hopefully I can finish on a winning run."

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