Northampton’s Madcap Curtis Langdon Embraces the Limelight
NORTHAMPTON, England – When it comes to Curtis Langdon, the Northampton Saints hooker is far from the shy, retiring type. As scrum coach Matt Ferguson quipped during a photoshoot, “I hope you’ve got a wide lens to fit his head in the shot.” Director of Rugby Phil Dowson described the 26-year-old as “mad as a box of frogs.”
Langdon, who hails from Somerset, has been one of the standout signings of the Premiership season, helping Northampton climb to the top of the table after arriving last summer following a brief stint in France with Montpellier. The passionate and committed forward embraces the banter, acknowledging, “I’d say I’m one of the louder characters at the club, so I think that’s why he has used that phrase.”
The rugged hooker developed a tough streak growing up in Weston-super-Mare, where he pursued combat sports like boxing, karate, and kickboxing alongside his rugby pursuits. Langdon credits his father, a former Royal Marine, for instilling that physical edge, though he admits, “I was quite an aggressive kid.”
“I didn’t have a Plan B,” Langdon confessed. “Any contingencies just involved a different route into my preferred career.”
Langdon’s path to the professional ranks has been anything but straightforward, with stints at London Irish, Newcastle, Darlington Mowden Park, Sale Sharks, and Worcester Warriors before his surprise move to Montpellier and eventual landing at Northampton. Through the ups and downs, he’s found solace in his rugby obsession, having set his sights on a professional career from a young age.
The hooker found inspiration in the exploits of former Saracens and Springboks star Schalk Brits, admiring his offloading skills and physical edge.
Now firmly established at Northampton, Langdon is targeting a return to the England setup, having earned two caps in the summer of 2021. “The tour is a major goal and I want to play more for England,” he said. “If I get that opportunity again, I want to be ready so I can make the most of it and stay in that jersey for a long time.”
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