WELCOME FROM THE CHAIRMAN

Peter Tom CBE CHAIRMAN

Opening words from the Chairman of the Leicester Tigers.

Welcome to matchday and to this Round of 16 fixture in the European Challenge Cup.

I hope you are enjoying your Easter weekend and have been able to spend some time with family and friends in line with the easing of certain lockdown restrictions earlier this week, as well as enjoying some better weather.

We send a very warm Mattioli Woods Welford Road welcome to our visitors from Connacht Rugby for the firstever competitive meeting of the teams.

It is so disappointing that supporters cannot be here to share in this historic occasion as I am sure the #TigersFamily would have enjoyed welcoming our visitors.

Many of who have struck up firm friendships with supporters of other clubs in European competition, especially so in the case of the Irish clubs either on our trips over there or their visits to Leicester, and a big Saturday evening crowd would have provided a perfect backdrop for today’s game.

This is our 15th home match without a crowd inside the stadium which shows just how long-ranging the impact of Covid has been. In that respect, it was good to learn that Premiership Rugby have been able to secure further government funding through the sport survival packages as we work our way through the challenges of operating for such a lengthy period of time without matchday income.

As we announced recently, the club has been working hard to establish a firm financial footing to take us through this

period and it all helps with our plans for the future, for getting back into the community, back into schools and local clubs, and engaging with our supporters to promote our game and our club.

The team picked up another win last Sunday, in a scrappy encounter with Newcastle Falcons, and it puts us in seventh place in the Gallagher Premiership table as we switch attention to Europe.

A huge amount of effort has gone into the season already, led by Steve and Aled, and the players will be happy to see the results of their hard work week in, week out are beginning to show in their performances and results.

I know, too, that you will all be very keen to get behind them again this afternoon, wherever you follow the action.

I hope you all remain safe and well, and as ever, thank you for your outstanding support of our club.

Another win in the Premiership