The beer – called Marching In and produced by Great Oakley Brewery – was commissioned by Paul Barton, owner of the Queen Adelaide pub in Kingsthorpe, Northampton, as part of his Return of the Saints beer festival this weekend.

Mr Barton said: "The pub is rugby-mad and I thought it was a good idea to have a Premiership-themed beer festival, with beers from each team's region.

"I am a big Gloucester fan so it creates a bit of banter as we get a lot of Saints fans and some players coming in."

The beer was created by Phil Greenway, of Great Oakley Brewery, at Bridge Farm. He was asked to create a recipe that reflected the make-up of the Saints' team.

Mr Greenway said: "The beer is golden, easy drinking and has a balance of powerful English hops and malt, with some New Zealand hops offering the flair, much like the balance of the team at Northampton Saints."

Mr Barton said: "I tasted it for the first time on Wednesday and I am very happy with it."

Marching In is available at the festival which runs all weekend.

Saints will be throwing open the gates at Franklin's Gardens on Sunday for the club's annual open day.

Fans will be able to get an exclusive behind-the-scenes glimpse into the world of the Premiership new boys, including tours of the main changing rooms, gym and physio area.

The open day takes place between 10.30am and 12.30pm. Entry is free.