Experienced defender Chris Hope signed a initial two-year contract at Rushden following his release by Gillingham in Summer 2006. Hope, who made 230 appearances during six seasons at Priestfield, has commanded fees of up to £300,000 in his career.

Chris began his career at Darlington and went on to play for Nottingham Forest and Scunthorpe United.  During the period at Scunthorpe he played at Nene Park in the the team that lost 2-0 to the Diamonds in October 1999.

Described as a leader on and off the pitch, Hope played a major role in his first season at Nene Park, winning players player of the season, and continued as club captain in 2007/08, earning a place on the retained list for 2008/09 which will allow him to combine playing duties with a coaching role. In his career with the Diamonds prior to the 2008/09 season he had appeared in 101 games, scoring 6 times.

During the 2008-09 season he started all 46 league games, the first player in Diamonds history to achieve that feat in a 46 game season, and completed the full 90 minutes in 45 of these games. His performances during that season, including 5 league goals, won him the Evening Telegraph Player of the Season award, the Press Box player of the Season award and the Internet Forum's Player of the Season.