CLUB NEWS

New host for Varsity

Mattioli Woods Welford Road will host the Varsity Matches between Oxford and Cambridge Universities on Sunday, July 4.

The new date has been chosen for the annual ‘Battle of the Blues’ with Twickenham unable to host the iconic fixtures this year.

Instead, Oxford captains Fiona Kennedy and George Messum, and Cambridge duo Elisha Clark and Stephen Leonard have agreed to bring their games to Leicester.

Also, the move to the summer is in line with the RFU’s current ‘return to rugby’ plan and will give the students training and playing time in the buildup to the Varsity Matches.

Club chairman Peter Tom CBE said: “Mattioli Woods Welford Road is an iconic home of rugby and we are delighted to be able to host an iconic fixture at our home stadium.

“Getting people into the stadium to enjoy their rugby is why we are here and to be able to host such a prestigious match and welcome a large crowd is an exciting opportunity for Tigers and the rugby community in the East Midlands and beyond, especially in these challenging times.

“It will be an honour for the club to welcome Oxford and Cambridge to Leicester.”

Tim Jones, chairman of the Varsity Match Company Ltd, added: “With all the uncertainty surrounding amateur contact sport and the return to play for rugby at student level, everyone is delighted to have agreed the date and venue for the Varsity Matches.

“We all know that the path of the pandemic is unpredictable and the Government’s roadmap may change. However, with the progress of the vaccine programme, we are hopeful that we will be able to stage the matches in front of some spectators.

“The Varsity Match has an incredible history and, we believe, remains the pinnacle of amateur rugby.”

Cambridge won 15-0 in front of a crowd of 22,863 in the men’s match last year to move into a 64-60 lead in a series that dates back to 1872. They also won the women’s match 8-5 to complete a Light Blue double.

Tigers have also hosted the city’s varsity fixtures between De Montfort University and University of Leicester since 2002.

Topps Tiles Try-Umph

Voting for the Topps Tiles Try-umph of the Month for March is now open with a shortlist featuring Hanro Liebenberg, Kobus van Wyk and Kini Murimurivalu.

Watch the footage on the club website and place your votes before Monday evening, then look out for the winner announcement with LTTV next week.

Planning a tiling project or renovation? Visit www.toppstiles.co.uk for the latest trends, tiling advice new products and, for more inspiration, follow @toppstiles on Instagram.

TigersLotto

Congratulations to our latest TigersLotto weekly winners who each receive £100: Susan Smith, Tamworth; Christine Hurst, Broughton Astley ; Peter Leonard, Wimbledon; Helen Watt, Sleaford; and Diane Orson, Melton Mowbray.

Also, the ‘We Win: You Win’ draw from the victory over Newcastle Falcons last weekend goes to David Etherington of Wigston Fields who receives £26.12 in Tigers credit on his account.

Alongside the weekday draws, TigersLotto also includes eight monthly £500 draws and four Mega Draws with prize value of more than £1,000.

Join or renew now for £52 to cover every draw in a whole year.