TWO BIG RUGBY DATES

SUMMER LOVIN'

Far from being the final action of the season at Mattioli Woods Welford Road, today kickstarts a run of big games at the stadium...

Today we can share in the season’s final home appearance of the league season as the relaxation of Covid measures finally allow some of our supporters to join the action, just in time ahead of some more big days this summer.

The rugby calendar has been reshaped by the impact of the pandemic, with a new look to the schedule over each of the last two seasons, but it has also produced an opportunity for this iconic stadium to act as host for major fixtures in June and July.

On Sunday June 25, Mattioli Woods Welford Road hosts its first international fixture since February 2008, when England A face Scotland A in the summer’s opening fixture for each team and a week later we welcome the historic Varsity Matches featuring women’s and men’s teams from the universities of Cambridge and Oxford.

The home nations have chosen to stay within these shores for their summer fixtures, with national coach Eddie Jones planning for England’s Tests with USA and Canada, as well as the ‘A’ fixture versus the country’s oldest rugby rivals.

Tigers duo Matt Scott and Cameron Henderson this week learned of their selection in Scotland's summer squad led by coach Mike Blair in the absence of Gregor Townsend who is on Lions duty in South Africa.

There are numerous members of the Tigers squad pushing their claims for inclusion in England’s plans for the summer too.

On the last occasion that Tigers hosted an England fixture, it was Tigers forward Jordan Crane - now a coach at today’s visitors Bristol Bears - who captained the Saxons to a 31-13 victory over visitors Ireland A.

His club colleagues Tom Varndell and Ollie Smith were also selected, alongside a number of players with Tigers links before or after including Anthony Allen, Will Skinner, James Grindal, George Skivington, Ryan Lamb and Ben Woods.

There were other members of the England squad who used the platform to launch their senior international careers, with hooker Dylan Hartley among the replacements as he made his way towards the England captaincy and more than 90 Test caps, and Mike Brown of Harlequins who had already won the first of his 72 senior caps.

The list of players who had starred in previous ‘A’ games at the Tigers stadium dating back to the 1980s reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of international rugby including names like Richard Hill, Lawrence Dallaglio, Simon Shaw, Victor Ubogu, Ben Clarke, Jeremy Guscott, Matt Dawson, Dean Ryan and Will Greenwood.

Tigers favourites Neil Back, John Wells, Richard Cockerill, George Chuter, Tim Buttimore, Barry Evans and Tony Underwood have also worn the red rose for fixtures at this stadium.

Former Tigers, England and Lions wing Underwood also has experience of playing in the Varsity Matches, which this year move to Tigers after a century at Twickenham.

Mattioli Woods Welford Road becomes only the eighth venue in 149 years of rivalry for matches which have traditionally been seen as the biggest amateur fixture in world rugby.

Sunday, July 4 is the date for this year’s meetings, with the women’s fixture - introduced in 1988 - kicking off at 1.30pm and the men’s game to follow at 3.30pm.

The Varsity clash originally alternated between the two teams’ home grounds at The Parks in Oxford and Parker’s Piece in Cambridge dating back to 1873 before moves to The Oval, two venues in Blackheath and Queen’s Club before the annual ‘Battle of the Blues’ moved to Twickenham in 1921.

After 93 meetings at the national stadium over the last 100 years, now Tigers are honoured to be able to act as host.

Tickets for England A versus Scotland A and the Varsity Matches are available now from the Tigers ticket office. Contact the sales team at the club for details of matchday hospitality packages.

We look forward to seeing you.