Saracens keep experienced England hooker

TRANSFER NEWS: Saracens have announced that hooker Joe Gray has extended his stay at the club for another season.

The 30-year-old, who trained with Sarries in the summer, joined from Northampton Saints in September on a one-year deal and will now remain in north London until  2020.

Former England international Gray has made three first-team appearances so far, featuring twice for the Men in Black in the Premiership Rugby Cup before making his Saracens Premiership debut in the win over Sale Sharks at Allianz Park in November.

"I’m extremely happy to have signed at such an amazing club," he said.

"Coming into Saracens in the summer was a great experience. They are an unbelievably welcoming club from the players to coaches and the rest of the staff.

"I’m loving being part of the team and I’m excited for what's to come,"

Director of Rugby Mark McCall added: “We are delighted that Joe has extended his stay at the club.

“He has fitted in superbly and has impressed everyone with his work ethic and his willingness to pass on his experience to the younger members of the squad.”

In other news:

RugbyPass has created a next-generation rugby rating system, based on machine learning and shaped by game-winning moments. The system (RPI) is a world first for its complexity and comprehensive embrace of northern and southern hemisphere players and teams. By using in-depth data analysis, RPI determines exactly what it takes to win, in real time. Explore the RPI now!