Leicester Tigers v Sale Sharks Digital Matchday Programme (05-09-2020) by Leicester Tigers

Gallagher Premiership Saturday September 5 2020 | KO: 3.00pm

v SA L E S H A R KS

TIGERS

DIGITAL EDITION

The Official Matchday Magazine of Leicester Tigers

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THE TEAMS

LEICESTER TIGERS

THE NEWS

L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v S A L E S H A R K S | G A L L AG H E R P R E M I E R S H I P

 CLIC FOR A K HERE CHANNY LATE G THE TEES TO AMS

SALE SHARKS

S TA R T I N G X V -

FREDDIE STEWARD

SAF

T P C D

LUKE JAMES

DAVID WILLIAMS

T P C D

DENNY SOLOMONA

JACO TAUTE

T P C D

SAM JAMES

ENG ENG / LIONS

SCO

MATT SCOTT

T P C D

MANU TUILAGI

FIJI

NEMANI NADOLO

T P C D

MARLAND YARDE

ENG

(VC) GEORGE FORD

T P C D

AJ MacGINTY

USA

ENG / LIONS

BEN YOUNGS

T P C D

FAF DE KLERK

SAF

ENG

ELLIS GENGE

T P C D

ROSS HARRISON

ENG / LIONS

T P C D

AKKER VAN DER MERWE

SAF

ENG / LIONS

DAN COLE

T P C D

COENIE OOSTHUIZEN

SAF

TOMÁS LAVANINI

T P C D

JEAN-LUC DU PREEZ

SAF

CALUM GREEN

T P C D

LOOD DE JAGER

SAF ENG

ARG -

HARRY WELLS

T P C D

TOM CURRY

TOMMY REFFELL

T P C D

BEN CURRY (C)

HANRO LIEBENBERG

T P C D

DANIEL DU PREEZ

SAF

R E P L AC E M E N T S CHARLIE CLARE

T P C D

CURTIS LANGDON

ARG

FACUNDO GIGENA

T P C D

VALEREY MOROZOV

SAM

RUS

NEPHI LEATIGAGA

T P C D

WILL-GRIFF JOHN

JORDAN TAUFUA

T P C D

MATT POSTLETHWAITE

LUKE WALLACE

T P C D

JONO ROSS

BEN WHITE

T P C D

WILL CLIFF

ZACK HENRY

T P C D

ROHAN JANSE VAN RENSBURG

GUY PORTER

T P C D

ARRON REED

SAF

M ATC H O F F I C I A L S Referee: Mr Ian Tempest Assistants: Mr Karl Dickson & Mr Jack Makepeace TMO: Mr Rowan Kitt Citing Officer: Mr Grant Seely

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THE NEWS

L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v S A L E S H A R K S | G A L L AG H E R P R E M I E R S H I P

CONTENTS... 13

LEICESTER FOOTBALL CLUB PLC Telephone 0116 319 8888 www.leicestertigers.com Facebook.com/LeicesterTigers Twitter @LeicesterTigers instagram.com/leicestertigers

03 Teams

44 Tigers Playing Squad

08 Welcome from the Chairman

53 The Ultimate Big Boot

13 From the Touchline 14 Tigers Club News 18 Tigers Talk: Club Down Under

Executive Chairman: Peter Tom CBE Chief Executive: Andrea Pinchen Director of Rugby: Geordan Murphy Head Coach: Steve Borthwick Directors: Petar Cvetkovic, Duncan Green, Ben Kay MBE, Fintan Kennedy, Tom Scott, Rory Underwood MBE DL Company Secretary: Mary Ford Life Members: Garry Adey, John Allen, Bob Beason, Paul Dodge, Matt Hampson, Dusty Hare MBE, Roy Jackson, Martin Johnson CBE, Ian Smith, Peter Wheeler Club Statistician/ Historian: Stuart Farmer Child Protection Officer: Matt Johnson

55 Junior Tigers Club 57 Tigers Foundation 59 In the Community 64 Tigers matchfiles

26 Development Squad

68 The Fixture List

30 Match Preview

73 Tigers Stats

33 Today’s Opposition

76 On This Day

38 From the Boardroom

78 Tigers Fanzone

ROLL OF HONOUR European Champions: 2000/01, 2001/02 English Champions: 1987/88, 1994/95, 1998/99, 1999/2000, 2000/01, 2001/02, 2006/07, 2008/09, 2009/10, 2012/13 Zurich Championship Winners: 2000/01 Cup Winners: 1978/79, 1979/80, 1980/81, 1992/93, 1996/97 Anglo-Welsh Cup Winners: 2006/07, 2011/12, 2016/17 Premiership ‘A’ League Winners: 2004/05, 2005/06, 2009/10, 2010/11 Premiership U21 League Winners: 2002/03 Premiership Academy U18 League Winners: 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20 (joint)

THE NEWS

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FROM THE CHAIRMAN Opening words from the chairman of Leicester Tigers…

Nemani Nadolo made his debut in victory over London Irish

to run out when our supporters are in full voice. Last Sunday, we sent a young team to Gloucester and, although the game threatened to run away from them, Geordan and Steve and the rest of the coaching team will have taken the positives out of a determined fightback in the second half. It was disappointing after all that effort and the clinical finishing when opportunities did come, that the team headed home without any reward but, no doubt, with experience they can now draw on as they continue their Tigers careers. I would like to congratulate Thom Smith on becoming the club’s youngest-ever Premiership captain, taking the record off Ben White who also came through the academy here. Congratulations, too, to Ollie Chessum and Dan Kelly who made their debuts at Gloucester last week.

It was also good to see Shalva Mamukashvili at work with the squad following his arrival from Georgia and to see Facundo Gigena back and straight into the squad last week after a spell in Argentina. Another recent addition, Kini Murimurivalu, has also arrived and we look forward to seeing him in a Tigers shirt soon. As ever, thank you for your continued and valued support. We appreciate that it can be frustrating when you are having to follow the team from a distance with games played behind closed doors, but we look forward to seeing you safely soon. Peter Tom CBE

Welcome to matchday wherever you are following the game from this afternoon. By this stage we had hoped to hear more about when we can welcome supporters back to Welford Road, though we continue to work with the authorities to be able to open the doors as soon as we have permission to do so. Until then, BT’s live coverage and the BT Sport Match Pass for season ticket holders provide the opportunity to watch the team and I’m sure you’ve all been keeping a close eye on games from home. Today we welcome Sale Sharks, their director of rugby Steve Diamond and his colleagues, and of course Manu who is settling into his new home there after his long career at Tigers. Sale have been among the main contenders at the top of the table this season and everyone knows we will have to be at our best against them today. This is the fifth game since the restart of the season and comes at the start of another busy period with a midweek trip to Wasps and then another home game against Northampton next weekend. Our last game here brought a win against London Irish when we welcomed Nemani Nadolo for his debut and it was interesting to hear his excitement about getting to play at Welford Road. I’m sure he’ll now be even more excited

N E W FO R 2 0 2 0 PREMIERSHIP

CLUB

WAS P S V T I G E R S AT W E L FO R D R OA D

Wednesday, September 9. KO 5.30pm NEW Premiership Club away match hospitality offering. Our Premiership Club draws from our 1880, Directors and Honours Lounges delivering a matchday hospitality with a difference. Sit back and watch the game live on one of our extra large screens as it’s streamed directly into the Premiership suite. Our Premiership Club will be open to guests for all away games for the remainder of the 19/20 season. As Premiership Club customer you can enjoy: ê

Complimentary drink on arrival

Pre-match exclusive interview with first-team coach or player (pre-recorded)

Hot food service (Food package only)

Big match action on the big screen

‘Matchday Live ‘ in the lounge at half-time, featuring a Q and A with guests

Live half-time zoom call with non-playing player for game analysis

Bath v Worcester, KO 7.45pm will also be shown on the big screens post Wasps v Tigers

Take your place in the familiar surroundings of the Premiership Suite and back the Tigers as they take on Wasps (Away). Doors open at 4.30pm, food will be served at half time. PRICES FROM

Food package includes arrival drink and hot food service

Drinks only package is selection of beers or bottle of wine per person

£45 per person

£36 per person

£37.50 per person

£30 per person

including VAT

excluding VAT

including VAT

excluding VAT

Terms & conditions apply. **Subject to government guidelines, pictures taken from hospitality pre-Covid-19.

For more information or to book your place call 0116 217 1215 or email corporatesales@tigers.co.uk. Visit leicestertigers.com/vipevents

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THE NEWS

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FROM THE TOUCHLINE Director of rugby Geordan Murphy gives his view from inside the camp ahead of Tigers' Gallagher Premiership clash with Sale Sharks… We selected a younger team to go to Gloucester last weekend to find out lessons about some young men and there were some good performances there. Everyone was obviously disappointed with the first-half performance and we could see that we caused some stresses for ourselves, we let them play and we went off our own game-plan. We were staring down the barrel there for a while with the numbers of tries they’d scored. When you concede and concede and concede again, you feel the game is slipping away and it’s difficult to see how you get into it. But we managed to come through that and we even had a chance of our own just before half-time, which might have changed things too. The coaching group did a really good job adjusting at half-time, and the second half was a different story. It was pleasing to see the belief coming back into the group and a good performance after the break. The players deserve a lot of credit for the comeback from 36-6 down and, with the momentum with us going into the last quarter of an hour, we were disappointed to lose. We wanted that team to compete and fight and work hard for each other, but we gave Gloucester too much of a headstart and they had the quality to take their chances. To have a massive turnaround in the space of 80 minutes is something we can all learn from. There were some big performances from some young men, along with the experience of George, Ben and Jordan off the bench, and you can find out a lot about players from games like that. We gave opportunities to guys like Ollie Chessum, Cameron Henderson and Dan Kelly who are all young men, and Thom Smith is the third-youngest Premiership captain and Tigers’

Battling display from young team

youngest Premiership captain ever. He was nervous before the game, but his performance didn’t tell that story. To stick with it and play against such a competitive back row he will be better for the experience. They all will. We thought Gloucester would want to throw the ball around after building that big lead so it was important we put them under pressure and shut them down. We managed to do that, we got a couple of scores and, when we got within six points, the game was in the balance. The momentum was with us and we were going for it. But then we conceded a penalty in the Gloucester half, and a couple more when our discipline had been so good, and they were able to kill the game from there. We can learn from being in that situation and how to come through it. Hopefully we can be better on the back of the whole experience. We want to win, of course our fans want us to win, but people have been hugely supportive and the ability for us to find out something about young players is important. It will be great for us in the long run. Everyone needs to learn, and with another three games during the next eight days we need to learn quickly.

THE NEWS 14

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CLUB NEWS

FOLLOW FROM A DISTANCE On Wednesday evening, Tigers take the short trip to Wasps in Round 19 of the Gallagher Premiership season and you could watch all of the action from Welford Road. Enjoy socially-distanced coverage of the match plus exclusive content from inside the camp in the Premiership Suite as Tigers travel to Coventry on Wednesday (kick-off 5.30pm). You’ll hear exclusively from Geordan Murphy ahead of the game and dial in to a Zoom call with a member of the playing squad to give their insight. Enjoy it all with a curry, mini naan bread, poppadoms and chutneys with a complimentary

drink at the home of the Tigers. Doors open at 3.30pm for a 5.30pm kick-off. September birthday? Let us know when you make your booking and you’ll receive an exclusive video message from Geordan and another drink on us. Tickets are £45 per person, with supporters seated at tables of 4-6 from the same family or social bubble. New for this game, we’re also offering a drinks-only package, which includes a selection of beers or bottle of wine per guest, for £36 per person. Book online or call 0116 217 1215 to reserve your place.

NEW FORMAT IN EUROPE Tournament organisers EPCR have announced a new format for the Heineken Champions Cup and Challenge Cup in the 2020/21 season. The changes have been made on an exceptional basis against the backdrop of the Covid-19 crisis and its ongoing impact on the professional game. In 2020/21, the Heineken Champions Cup will feature 24 clubs, with eight from each of the Gallagher Premiership, Guinness PRO14 and TOP 14. Each club will play four pool-stage fixtures, with the eight highestranked clubs qualifying for the next stage. The knockout rounds feature home-and-away quarter-finals followed by semi-finals, and a final in Marseille on May 22, 2021. The Challenge Cup will start with 14 clubs - six from the TOP 14, four from the Gallagher Premiership and four from the PRO14 - who will play four rounds and they will be joined by eight clubs from the Champions Cup in a ‘round of 16’ at the start of the knockout stages. The final is in Marseille on May 21. Clubs will not play rivals from their own country in the pool stages.

Loans agreed Tigers have agreed loan deals with Coventry Rugby duo Andy Forsyth and Rory Jennings for the remainder of this season. Centre Andy, well known to Tigers as a past academy graduate and with a loan spell here earlier this season, and fly-half Rory have been training with the Tigers squad. Development Squad member Harry Glynn, meanwhile, has joined La Rochelle to play in the Under-23 Espoir League in France.

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FREE TIGERS COMPANION Follow matches live, receive breaking news, browse the online Tigers store, send your pics and vote for your Fans’ Favourite, all through the Tigers app. You’ll receive notifications with scores, news, offers and the latest stats and tables, as well as access to your favourite Tigers player profiles. • MATCHDAY LIVE – for blow-by-blow commentary from Tigers matches home and away • SEND YOUR SNAPS – share your support of Tigers by taking a photo and sending it to the App gallery • Vote for your FANS’ FAVOURITE home and away. Voting opens at half-time, with the winner announced after the final whistle • If you’re new to rugby, watch our RUGBY EXPLAINED video series voiced by Tigers legend Ben Kay The app is available to download FREE for Apple and Android devices. Download on iTunes or on Googleplay.

Thank you for your support, wherever you follow the game today. As the matchday programme is a traditional part of the event for many supporters, we are producing a digital-only edition while games are played behind closed doors. This is emailed to season ticket holders and loaded on to the club website ahead of the game so you won’t have to miss any of the usual features, the views from inside Welford Road and all the stats on the squad and each week’s visitors, together with links to extra content. We hope you enjoy it. If you like what you see, all of the digital editions are available to browse and download on the club website. And we are always interested in your comments. Email any feedback to tigers@tigers.co.uk

Club shop now open The Tigers shop at Welford Road has re-opened to visitors, showcasing the new 2020/21 range. After processing record pre-orders at its launch in July, fans will now be able to see the new-look strip and colourful training wear range in store. Opening times are currently 10.00am-4.00pm Monday-Saturday. Social distancing rules are in place along with a number of new measures including: • Face masks to be worn at all times in the shop • Fitting rooms are not available • Contactless payments are the ONLY payment method available in store Please note that products and sizes showing as out-of-stock online will also be unavailable in store. Another delivery of stock is due in the next couple of weeks. Online services remain available all day every day.

THE NEWS

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We deliver promises not just parcels Proud to support the Leicester Tigers. Yodel is the UKâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading partner for delivering a range of parcels and is an expert in everyday premium items such as wine, flowers and food. www.yodel.co.uk

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TIGERStalk...

Additions to a squad come from all parts of the rugby world, with different status levels and CVs. But what of the recent arrivals with Sydney University links? And where do they fit into Australian rugby? We have the perfect guide to provide some answers...

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It is around the time that you are starting to think about taking the Christmas tree down and finally shaking that hangover from New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eve when fans begin to divert their eyes towards how their team will line up beyond the current campaign. In a normal season, unlike the not-so-normal one we are currently experiencing, a new calendar year brings with it the announcements of new signings to get excited about ahead of their arrival the following summer. Whether you are sitting pretty atop the Premiership ladder, fighting for a European place in mid-table or grafting away down the table, a new signing is exciting news and can be an intriguing one if they come from overseas. The message boards, blogs and fan sites are abuzz with speculation, as they piece together rumours from the newspapers and worldwide web or scrolling through who the players are following (or unfollowing) on social media.

The superstars are those that supporters are keen to see sign on the dotted line. England internationals making the move from one club to another, All Blacks, Wallabies, Pacific Islanders, Pumas or Springboks opting for a move to the northern hemisphere, or a Welshman, Scotsman or Irishman choosing to depart their homeland to test themselves in the Premiership. And, on the odd occasion, a Frenchman heading across the Channel. It isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t a new thing and it has been happening since the game went professional in 1995. Joel Stransky was the first superstar signing for Leicester Tigers, fresh off leading the Springboks to World Cup glory, and - in the 25 years since - many have opted for a move to Welford Road, including the most recent rugby rock star to go house hunting in the East Midlands, Nemani Nadolo. For the rugby-mad Tigers fan, Nadolo and some of his fellow recent additions -

Guy Porter shared Shute Shield success

Rob Taylor led the University club programme

Matias Moroni, Kini Murimurivalu or Cyle Brink - are known names and faces. If you haven’t seen them play, a quick search on YouTube, Instagram or Twitter offers up plenty of highlights to enjoy and get excited about. However, it’s the lesser known names that can - unfortunately – bring with them cynicism from fans. If Nadolo is a rock star, is Guy Porter a busker? What is Harry Potter? Well, that one is easy. He is a wizard. Moving on… In coaching terms, Steve Borthwick is the signing of the year. And, that is not just at Leicester Tigers, it’s worldwide. Ask Eddie Jones or Warren Gatland, and they will tell you the same. So, just as Nadolo and Porter are in different stages of their careers, Borthwick and his attack coach Rob Taylor (or “Rod” if you’ve been keeping up with LTTV) are, too. There are a few highlights of Porter, Potter and Taylor’s teams coached on YouTube for you to find. Of course there are. But the trio of new additions brought with them as many questions as answers.

With Nadolo, Tigers fans knew what they were getting. The biggest, scariest outside back in the modern game. And, with Borthwick it was just as clear. Along with the ladder, Steve was bringing with him a reputation for a hard-edged, no-nonsense, clear vision for forwards-orientated rugby. But, when Porter, Potter and Taylor were announced, the only common thread – apart from the questions of “who?” being asked – was Sydney University. Let me save you the Google search or, for those that already have, let me clear up some of those questions. Simply put, Sydney University rugby is – alongside the famous Randwick – the Leicester Tigers of Australian clubs. No club has had more success or provided more professional rugby players to Australian Rugby in the modern era – and prior – than ‘The Students’. It is a semi-professional rugby club, not a university team made up of freshmen.

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There is no BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport) League down under, where Sydney takes on Melbourne, Brisbane or Perth – which are Australian cities, by the way! Sydney University competes in the Shute Shield, from where the Waratahs, Brumbies, Rebels and – sometimes – Reds are selected to compete in Super Rugby. Formed in 1863, ‘Uni’ is the world’s oldest 'recorded' rugby club outside of Britain. The Shute Shield, named after Robert Elliott Stewart Shute who returned to Australia after World War One only to die from injuries sustained in a rugby union fixture - has been the most highly-coveted club rugby prize since the 1920s. Randwick Rugby boast notable playing alumni including David Campese, George Gregan, Phil Kearns, Owen Finegan, Matt Giteau and the Ella brothers, to name but a few. And, of course, their playing and coaching alumni include Ewen McKenzie, Michael Cheika, and former Tigers player and current England Rugby head coach Eddie Jones. Plus, the rock star himself, Nadolo. But even with almost 60 Wallabies representatives, they sit second behind Sydney University for contributions from Sydney club rugby to the national squad. For some context, Sydney Uni has provided 128 Wallabies – including more than 30 since 1995.

Famous former Uni player Pat Howard

Harry Potter ran in a first try at Gloucester

Alumni from The Students known to the Welford Road faithful include Pat Howard and Peter Betham. The Aussie interntional duo are in the company of World Cup winners Nick Farr-Jones, Bob Egerton, Jim Williams and Richard Harry. As well as those who lifted the William Webb Ellis trophy in 1991 or ’99, other well-known alumni include Phil Waugh, Dan Vickerman, Berrick Barnes, Will Skelton, Bernard Foley, Nick Phipps, Dave Dennis and – social media activity aside – Israel Folau. That’s not to mention two former Australia Prime Ministers, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull, who packed down together in the front row for the Students before opting for parliament over pushover tries as a career. Currently, 16 players from the club are contracted to Super Rugby clubs in Australia and nine of their women’s team are playing professionally. On the international stage, Sydney University boasts 22 players with seven

Wallabies and Wallaroos, three Under20s and five of their own on the World Rugby Sevens circuit. Like the Gallagher Premiership, the Shute Shield has 12 clubs competing for the crown and – beyond Students and Randwick – includes some heavy hitters in Australian Rugby circles. There is Eastwood, where World Cup winner and former Newcastle Falcons full-back Matt Burke and fellow Australia internationals Justin Harrison and Nic White made a name for themselves. Then, you have Eastern Suburbs, where a young Matt To’omua put himself in the sights of Brumbies and Wallabies selectors as a fly-half. West Harbour, where Lote Tuqiri learned the 15-man code after making the switch from Rugby League, and Parramatta, who have provided a platform for Steve Mafi and Tatafu Polota-Nau to make waves in the professional game, as well as stints at Tigers. For only a handful of the competing clubs, there is an array of talent bursting at the seams in semi-professional rugby on their way up to the Super outfits and international stages. And that is barely scratching the surface. This is just Sydney we are

talking about, which has a modest population of just 5.2million and occupies almost the same amount of space on the globe as the UK, which boasts almost 65million residents. So, back to the buskers – Porter, Potter and Taylor – who now call Welford Road home. They may not have been wowing sellout venues like top-of-the-bill Nadolo or Borthwick before arriving in Leicester. To be blunt, they didn’t arrive at Oval Park with the CVs of Jones, Mafi, To’omua, Polota-Nau or dualinternational Tuqiri and his cousin, Nadolo, either. But they walked the same path and played on the same pitches. They trained in the same gym and on the same grass and wore the same badge as Farr-Jones, Waugh and Skelton. In fact, if you have tuned in to LTTV during the postponed period of the pandemic, you will have watched another – scruffy – Sydney University alumni pose questions to Tigers board members, coaches and players past and present on behalf of the fans. Bondi, the voice and hair of LTTV, even wore the blue-and-gold stripes of Sydney University. There is even proof pictured alongside these words. So, if you still have questions about the trio of Students who arrived in Leicester in July, it is probably best to think less about the ‘Who?’ of the name and more about the ‘Where’ they came from. Or, ask me, Bondi. Sam 'Bondi' Williamson (below) Digital & Social Media Manager

Guy Porter is settling in at Tigers

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Ollie Chessum

LOCK OR BACK ROW / AGE 19 OLLIE ON TIGERS... “I’ve been a Tigers supporter since I was able to pick up a rugby ball and only a couple of years ago I was in the stands watching as a fan. To have the opportunity to work with guys like Tom Youngs and other experienced internationals is great. Tigers want to develop young, local players like me and that’s massive.” 26

A STEP ON THE LADDER

Alongside the signings in the senior squad, three additions to the development ranks have made their Tigers debut since the season’s restart. We caught up with the trio to find out about their route to Welford Road…

After a spell with the Tigers academy, Ollie established himself in Championship rugby with neighbours Nottingham and has represented England Counties, as well as being part of the England Under-20s training squad earlier this season. He has previously played in the Premiership Shield for Tigers and made his senior debut with a starting role at Gloucester last weekend. From Boston in Lincolnshire, Ollie played his junior rugby with Kesteven. His younger brother Lewis is also part of the Tigers academy.

TIGERS ON OLLIE... “Ollie is someone we’ve had an eye on since his junior days. After a great season with Nottingham, he’s earned the opportunity and we are excited about where we believe he can go. We want young men who understand what it takes to represent Leicester, which we believe he will do with the passion and pride we expect.”

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Cameron Henderson

Dan Kelly

CAMERON ON TIGERS... “This is a really exciting step for me in my career. After speaking with the coaches, I knew this was the right place for me. I’m really excited about it. It seems a family club, which is very inclusive and that really appeals to me.”

DAN ON TIGERS... “It’s not just a professional club, it’s one with such history and the overall culture is the point of difference. They are building something special at Tigers, you can tell, and the demands are that, if you are lucky enough to be here, you’re here for a reason and have always got to do everything you can to improve yourself and improve Leicester.”

Hong Kong-born and English-qualified, it is with Scotland that young forward Cameron Henderson has earned his international honours so far. After playing in club and schools’ rugby in Hong Kong, he moved to school in Scotland and spent a summer with Tigers as an under-18 in 2017. He was aligned to Glasgow Warriors for the 2018/19 season as a Scottish Rugby Academy player and made his debut in his first season there. He was also selected for the Scotland squad at the 2019 World Rugby Under-20 Championship in Argentina. Cameron made his Tigers debut against Bath at Welford Road and grabbed a first try in the game at Gloucester last weekend.

Ireland Under-20s international Dan Kelly made the short trip - at least in geographical terms - from Loughborough Students during the lockdown period, stepping into the professional rugby world with Tigers. Born in Manchester, Dan played Rugby League growing up until focusing on the 15-man code in his time at Kirkham Grammar School. He is qualified for Ireland through grandparents and also for England. He was a member of the Sale Sharks academy from 2017-19 before settling in at Loughborough where he played alongside Tigers trio Freddie Steward, Jonny Law and Joe Browning. His first appearance in a Tigers shirt was as a replacement in the Round 17 game at Gloucester.

TIGERS ON CAMERON... “Cameron is a promising young talent and we’ve been impressed by what we’ve seen of him so far. There is still a lot of growth in him and, with the experience he will have around him, as well as the guidance of someone of Steve Borthwick’s standing, we are confident Cameron has a big future ahead of him with Tigers"

TIGERS ON DAN... “Dan is a talented young player who we are delighted to have joining the club. He has been one of the stars for Loughborough Students this season after impressing on his way up the ranks of the game. His call-up to the Irish 20s was well deserved and helped to add to his progression, which we are confident he will continue with us in Leicester.”

LOCK / AGE 20

CENTRE / AGE 19

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THE BIG MATCH Tigers host Sale Sharks in Round 18 of the Gallagher Premiership season...

Tigers and Sharks are approaching a century of head-to-head meetings, with 97 previous encounters between the teams. Leicester lead 67-25 on the win count, with five games drawn, though Sale have won the last two meetings, both on home turf at the AJ Bell Stadium. Sharks have won just once at Welford Road in the Premiership since 2008, triumphing 10-3 in February 2016. This is the 56th meeting of the teams at Welford Road where Tigers have won 48, drawn one and lost six in the series. Last week’s win over London Irish was Tigers’ only victory in the last five rounds, though they have lost just once at Welford Road in any competition during 2020 - against Bath in the second game after the season’s restart last month. Tigers have used 40 players in four matches since the Premiership returned in Round 14, with young centre Dan Kelly becoming the 11th debutant in the closing stages of last week’s trip to Gloucester. He is among 29 debutants this season.

FROM BOTH SIDES Mathew Tait moved to Welford Road from Sale Sharks with a pedigree already featuring 38 Test caps and an appearance in a World Cup Final. After a breakthrough at Newcastle and an England debut as a teenager, Tait moved to Sharks in 2008 and then Tigers three years later. A Premiership title winner in 2013, he was captain in the European Cup semi-final against Racing 92 in 140 appearances for the club, up to retirement in 2019.

LAST FIVE PREMIERSHIP MEETINGS 2019/20

2018/19

2017/18

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ELSEWHERE IN ROUND 18 The weekend programme kicks off at Sixways with hosts Worcester Warriors hoping to bounce back from defeat in nine of the last 10 rounds. Bristol Bears have lost their last two Gallagher Premiership games since winning 33-24 at Gloucester last month, their first bonus-point victory since Round One. Bristol have won just twice at Sixways, but chase a Premeirship double over Worcester for the first time since 2006/07 after a 13-10 success at Ashton Gate in Round 11.

Northampton Saints have won just twice in the last nine rounds, both away from home, at Worcester and at London Irish. They have slipped to five straight defeats at Franklin’s Gardens to equal their worstever home run in the competition. Exeter Chiefs have won their last five fixtures, four with maximum points, since defeat at Harlequins in February. That loss was their first on the road in any competition since last October. They have lost only one of their last eight meetings with Saints in all competitions.

GALLAGHER PREMIERSHIP TABLE

Saracens have won their last 10 home games in all competitions and have lost just once in the last six rounds of Premiership rugby. Northampton were the last visitors to win at Allianz Park, back in Round 1. Wasps have lost only once in the last seven rounds and have won their last three away games, their best run on the road since February 2018. Wasps beat Saracens 60-10 at home in Round 11 but have not achieved a Premiership double over them since 2006/07.

Harlequins’ last seven fixtures have all been won by the home side on the day, while their most recent defeat at The Stoop was against London Irish in February. Bath’s run of victories since the restart ended with a 23-27 home defeat to Wasps on Bank Holiday Monday. Their only defeat in the last four away games was at Exeter in Round 13. After a 19-12 win over Quins in February, Bath chase a seasonal double for the first time since 2014/15.

Hamish Smales takes charge of his first Gallagher Premiership game as Gloucester host London Irish. Gloucester have won two of their last nine league games and their win over Leicester last Sunday ended a run of three successive defeats at Kingsholm. Irish have lost the last six since beating today’s opponents at the Madejski Stadium in February. The Exiles won on their most recent visit to Kingsholm, 49-29 in the Premiership Cup in September, but have not been victorious there in the league since 2013.

Pld

Pts

Exeter Chiefs

532

294

Sale Sharks

426

256

Bristol Bears

367

365

Wasps

443

409

Bath Rugby

354

356

Northampton Saints

371

396

Harlequins

369

431

Gloucester Rugby

402

396

36 29

London Irish

294

464

Worcester Warriors

270

450

Leicester Tigers

279

419

Saracens*

464

335

-47

*105 points deducted due to salary cap breaches

01772 338 899

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MEET THE OPPOSITION SALE SHARKS Sitting in second place in the Gallagher Premiership table ahead of the restart to the season, Sale Sharks have won two, lost two since the return to action. But the results don’t quite tell the full story. Tigers will need no introduction to Sale’s highest-profile signing over the summer, with centre Manu Tuilagi moving to the North-West during the break. Sam Hill, formerly of Exeter Chiefs, and Cobus Wiese from the Stormers, are the other additions to a squad with a distinctly South African flavour. With their trip to Harlequins in Round 14 picked out to kickstart the return to rugby - and the first English game under the new breakdown interpretations - Steve Diamond’s men struggled to fire on all cylinders as part of a low-scoring affair in the capital. Byron McGuigan’s second-half score offered a glimpse of the Sharks at their attacking best, but three Marcus Smith penalties and a Quins drive over while Sale full-back Simon Hammersley was in the sin-bin ensured the visitors would have to settle for a losing bonus-point. Round 15 offered even less for the northerners when they suffered only their second home defeat in the last 12 months, this

time at the hands of Exeter Chiefs, albeit with consolation tries for Tom Curry, Rob du Preez and Denny Solomona. But it was a gritty performance in Round 16 that got the Sharks back on track as they leapfrogged fellow top-four contenders Wasps with a 20-11 win. Fly-half AJ MacGinty cashed in on the home side’s indiscipline with three first-half penalties to put Sale ahead at the break, and a Luke James score on the hour mark saw them secure their first Gallagher Premiership win since the league had been frozen back in March. And the best was yet to come. Buoyed by victory in Coventry, the Sharks ran in six tries against high-flying Bristol Bears last time out to reclaim second spot in the table. Tries from Solomona, talismanic scrum-half Faf de Klerk and the James brothers, Sam and Luke, secured a bonus point within the opening half-hour and a second-half Bristol score was the only blot on an impressive scorecard in Round 17. Further points from Luke James, Marland Yarde and fly-half MacGinty sealed the deal and put Sale back at the head of the pack chasing down league leaders Exeter with just five games left in the regular season.

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THE BACKS Will Cliff 31 / - / Scrum-half / Bristol Tom Curtis 19 / - / Wing / academy Robert Du Preez 27 / South Africa / Fly-half / Sharks Simon Hammersley 27 / - / Full-back / Newcastle Sam Hill 27 / - / Centre / Exeter Luke James 21 / - / Centre / academy

Rohan Janse van Rensburg 25 / South Africa / Centre / Lions AJ MacGinty 30 / USA / Fly-half / Connacht Byron McGuigan 31 / Scotland / Full-back / Exeter Arron Reed 21 / - / Centre / academy Tom Roebuck 19 / - / Wing / academy Denny Solomona 26 / England / Wing / Castleford

ONE TO WATCHâ&#x20AC;¦ Faf de Klerk 28 / South Africa / Scrum-half / Lions World Cup winner in 2019, he made his Test debut for South Africa in Ireland in 2016 and had spells with Pumas, Golden Lions and Lions before making a big impression in Premiership rugby since joining Sale in 2017.

Manu Tuilagi 29 / England & Lions / Centre / Leicester

Kieran Wilkinson 20 / - / Fly-half / academy

Gus Warr 20 / - / Scrum-half / academy

Marland Yarde 28 / England / Wing / Harlequins

KEY

Sam James 26 / - / Centre / academy

Name Age / Honours / Position / Former Club

THE FORWARDS James Phillips 32 / - / Back row / Bath

Jake Cooper-Wooley 30 / - / Prop / Wasps

Matt Postlethwaite 23 / - / Lock / academy

Ben Curry 22 / - / Back row / academy

Bevan Rodd 20 / - / Prop / academy

Tom Curry 22 / - / Back row / academy Lood De Jager 27 / South Africa / Lock / Blue Bulls Dan Du Preez 25 / South Africa / Back row / Sharks Jean-Luc Du Preez 25 / South Africa / Flanker / Sharks Ross Harrison 27 / - / Prop / academy WillGriff John 27 / - / Prop / Doncaster Joe Jones 26 / - / Prop / Perpignan Curtis Langdon 23 / - / Hooker / London Irish Sam Moore 21 / - / Back row / academy Valery Morozov 25 / Russia / Prop / Enisei Cameron Neild 25 / - / Hooker / academy Coenie Oosthuizen 31 / South Africa / Prop / Sharks

Akker van der Merwe 29 / South Africa / Hooker / Sharks

KEY

Josh Beaumont 28 / - / Back row / Fylde

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Name Age / Honours / Position / Former Club

ONE TO WATCH… Jono Ross 29 / - / Back row / Stade Francais English qualified due to a grandparent, Jono Ross has become a key figure in Sale’s resurgence as a hard-hitting, energetic influence on the forward pack. He had a twogame spell with Saracens in 2012/13, but made his name with the Blue Bulls in South Africa and a spell in France.

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Tigers’ chief executive officer Andrea Pinchen reflects on having rugby back at Welford Road... Three weeks ago, we were venturing into unknown territory. Games behind closed doors, protocols, health checks and restricted zones are phrases that didn’t sound too positive. But what the 12 Premiership Rugby clubs have proven is that the determination, discipline and dedication of players and staff to ensure rugby returned safely is what the rugby community is all about. As we host our third game without our supporters at Welford Road this afternoon, the transition has been swift for what is expected from everyone involved at the stadium. What we do, we do for the fans. We play for you. We work for you. And while we aren’t yet able to share your support in person, the sport is making the right steps to that day becoming a reality soon. A poor start cost us last time out against Gloucester last Sunday, but our young and new-look side bit back in the second half, pushing the Cherry and Whites right to the very end. Another 10 minutes and the points may have come back with us. This ‘never-give-up’ attitude is becoming a mainstay of this Tigers squad already and, while the games are coming thick and fast, with each match comes more time playing togeter.

The clubs have worked hard to get this far

Sale Sharks arrive at Welford Road in good form and will provide a tough test for Geordan and Steve to overcome. Of the 97 meetings between the two sides, we have only lost six on home soil, and ensuring that Welford Road is not a place where points come cheaply for opposition visitors is top of the agenda. With just five Gallagher Premiership games left of the 2019/20 season, including

today’s, the players know that every second out there is valuable - and battling a side in the top two of the table will be a chance to see how far we have come. Andrea Pinchen

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Aled WALTERS

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THE TEAM

Charlie CLARE

Cyle BRINK

Ryan BOWER

Sam ASPLAND-ROBINSON

F I R S T-T E A M S Q U A D

Position: Wing

Position: Prop

Position:

Back row

Position: Hooker

Born: 03/01/97

Born: 25/02/91

Born: 16/01/94

Born: 16/12/91

Height:

1.88m/6ft 2in

Height:

1.85m/6ft 1in

Height:

1.91m/6ft 3in

Height:

1.83m/6ft 0in

Weight:

97kg/15st 3lb

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113kg/17st 11lb

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112kg/17st 9lb

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Position:

George FORD

Blake ENEVER

Dan COLE

Jordan COGHLAN

Back row

Position: Prop

Position: Lock

Position: Fly-half

Born: 30/10/92

Born: 09/05/87

Born: 06/10/85

Born: 16/03/93

Height:

1.95m/6ft 4in

Height:

1.91m/6ft 3in

Height:

2.00m/6ft 6in

Height:

1.78m/5ft 10in

Weight:

115kg/18st 1lb

Weight:

123kg/19st 5lb

Weight:

116kg/18st 4lb

Weight:

86kg/13st 7lb

Honours: England/Lions

Honours: Australia

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Tom HARDWICK

Calum GREEN

Facundo GIGENA

Ellis GENGE

THE TEAM

F I R S T-T E A M S Q U A D

Position: Prop

Position: Lock

Position: Fly-half/Centre

Born: 16/02/95

Born: 15/09/94

Born: 15/07/90

Born: 24/03/99

Height:

1.86m/6ft 1in

Height:

1.83m/6ft 0in

Height:

1.93m/6ft 4in

Height:

1.81m/5ft 11in

Weight:

119kg/18st 10lb

Weight:

114kg/17st 13lb

Weight:

115kg/18st 1lb

Weight:

95kg/14st 13lb

Honours: England

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Tomas LAVANINI

Jake KERR

Zack HENRY

Joe HEYES

Position: Fly-half/Full-back

Position: Prop

Position: Hooker

Position: Lock

Born: 01/10/94

Born: 13/04/99

Born: 13/04/96

Born: 22/01/93

Height:

1.82m/6ft 0in

Height:

1.91m/6ft 3in

Height:

1.88m/6ft 2in

Height:

2.01m/6ft 7in

Weight:

91kg/14st 5lb

Weight:

120kg/18st 12lb

Weight:

108kg/17st 0lb

Weight:

126kg/19st 12lb

Honours: Scotland

Honours: Argentina

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Shalva MAMUKASHVILI

Hanro LIEBENBERG

Sam LEWIS

Nephi LEITIGAGA

F I R S T-T E A M S Q U A D

Position: Prop

Position: Lock/Flanker

Position:

Back row

Position: Hooker

Born: 09/12/93

Born: 27/04/98

Born: 10/10/95

Born: 02/10/90

Height:

1.87m/6ft 2in

Height:

1.95m/6ft 5in

Height:

1.97m/6ft 5 in

Height:

1.80m/5ft 11in

Weight:

138kg/21st 10lb

Weight:

106kg/16st 10lb

Weight:

112kg/17st 7lb

Weight:

107kg/16st 10lb

Honours: Samoa

Honours: Georgia ACADEMY GRADUATE

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Jordan OLOWOFELA

Nemani NADOLO

Kini MURIMURIVALU

Johnny McPHILLIPS

Position: Fly-half

Position: Full-back/Wing

Position: Wing/Centre

Position: Wing/Full-back

Born: 13/03/97

Born: 15/05/89

Born: 31/01/88

Born: 17/04/98

Height:

1.84m/6ft 0in

Height:

1.75m/5ft 9in

Height:

1.96m/6ft 5in

Height:

1.88m/6ft 2in

Weight:

86kg/13st 7lb

Weight:

86kg/13st 8lb

Weight:

136kg/21st 5lb

Weight:

86kg/13st 8lb

Honours: Fiji

Honours: Fiji ACADEMY GRADUATE

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Matt SCOTT

Tommy REFFELL

Harry POTTER

Guy PORTER

THE TEAM

F I R S T-T E A M S Q U A D

Position: Centre/Wing

Position: Wing/Centre

Position: Flanker

Position: Centre

Born: 23/01/97

Born: 15/12/97

Born: 27/04/99

Born: 30/09/90

Height:

1.85m/6ft 1in

Height:

1.84m/6ft 0in

Height:

1.84m/6ft 0in

Height:

1.86m/6ft 1in

Weight:

98kg/15st 6lb

Weight:

95kg/14st 13lb

Weight:

103kg/16st 3lb

Weight:

101kg/15st 12lb

Honours: Scotland ACADEMY GRADUATE SPONSORED BY:

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Kobus VAN WYK

Harry SIMMONS

Jordan TAUFUA

Jaco TAUTE

Position: Scrum-half

Position:

Back row

Position: Centre/Full-back

Position: Wing/Centre

Born: 25/11/97

Born: 29/01/92

Born: 21/03/91

Born: 22/01/92

Height:

1.81m/5ft 11in

Height:

1.91m/6ft 3in

Height:

1.91m/6ft 3 in

Height:

1.90m/6ft 3in

Weight:

90kg/14st 2lb

Weight:

113kg/17st 11lb

Weight:

108kg/17st 0lb

Weight:

98kg/15st 6lb

Honours:

South Africa

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THE TEAM

George WORTH

Ben WHITE

Harry WELLS

Luke WALLACE

F I R S T-T E A M S Q U A D

Back row

Position: Lock

Position: Scrum-half

Position: Full-back/Centre

Born: 02/10/90

Born: 29/09/93

Born: 27/05/98

Born: 08/10/96

Height:

1.86m/6ft 1in

Height:

1.96m/6ft 5in

Height:

1.81m/5ft 11in

Height:

1.88m/6ft 2in

Weight:

101kg/15st 12lb

Weight:

118kg/18st 8lb

Weight:

87kg/13st 11lb

Weight:

93kg/14st 9lb

Position:

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Born: 05/09/89

Born: 28/01/87

Height:

1.79m/5ft 10in

Height:

1.75m/5ft 9in

Weight:

88kg/13st 12lb

Weight:

104kg/16st 5lb

Honours: England/Lions

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5 to Tackle

1 For which country has Jaco Taute played international rugby? 2

Listed alphabetically, who comes last in the current first-team squad list?

What colour shirt do Sale Sharks wear in home games?

4 Two players scored their first tries for Tigers at Gloucester last week, can you name them? Which academy graduate captained Tigers at Gloucester last Sunday?

JTC activity sheets Welford has been working hard to create some Leicester Tigers activity sheets for you to try at home! There’s colouring, puzzles, dot-to-dot and other activities. Click here to see what’s in store…

Answers: Name the player: Calum Green & Hanro Liebenberg; 5 to tackle: 1 South Africa, 2 Tom Youngs, 3 Dark blue, 4 Harry Potter & Cameron Henderson, 5 Thom Smith; Tigers rivals: Bristol, Worcester Warriors, Gloucester.

Name the player Can you identify these two Tigers players caught in action at Welford Road?

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Supporting The Tigers Foundation

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To offer support or find out more about the work of the Leicester Tigers Foundation email scott@tigersfoundation.co.uk R E GI S T E R E D

Leicester Tigers Foundation are making preparations to restart the Dynamite programme for the new school term. Dynamite works with Key Stage 4 students aged between 14 and 16 who are still in mainstream education but who might otherwise be struggling at school. The objective of the programme is to help pupils with re-engagement and re-integration back into mainstream education, so we work closely with schools to develop a tailored programme which meets the needs of each individual. Using practical sport and classroom-based activities, we aim to empower students, increase confidence and give them the skills to improve their life chances in a fun but disciplined professional environment, including at Welford Road stadium. Our fully-trained staff are highly experienced in working with students with educational attainment and behavioural issues. Opportunities to participate and join local clubs, along with the added excitement of trips, visits, specialist coaches and Tigers home games, intend to inspire students to achieve academically and improve socially.

CHA R I T Y

N U MB E R:

1 1 6 0 0 7 7

The programme is split into practical and theory sessions, ensuring that physical activity is present every day. Our multi-sports sessions are embedded into theory lessons, which revolve heavily around sport and leisure.

The recent shutdown of events due to the Coronavirus outbreak has impacted greatly on those funds and we very much need support to continue to develop Dynamite and several other education-

Hitz and Dynamite are putting on the educational offering

Students work towards achieving an accredited BTEC Level 1 qualification in Sport and Active Leisure and have gone on to careers in the sporting industry. Dynamite and the Tigers Education programmes are part-funded through donations and fundraising for the Leicester Tigers Foundation.

based initiatives which make a huge positive impact in our local community and for those individuals otherwise excluded from some of lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s positive experiences. If you want to find out more about Dynamite and Tigers Education, or support the Foundation in anyway, please email scott@ tigersfoundation.co.uk.

See you after the interval

0116 233 3111 demontforthall.co.uk

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COMMUNITY TEAM SUPPORTING TIGERS’ COMMUNITY PROGRAMME

TIGER SPORTS Leicester Tigers’ multi-sport initiative, Tiger Sports, is back up and running for schools across Leicester and Leicestershire to get involved with in the new academic year. With most pupils now back at school across the city - and the rest of the county not far behind - the club is once again throwing its weight behind the Tiger Sports project to encourage students and their schools to try new sports while being active, healthy and inspired. The project is open to youngsters from Reception and Key Stage One right through to college age groups and aims to engage through practical PE sessions, healthy eating workshops and some classroom-based learning. Tiger Sports even gives schools and groups the opportunity to see behind the scenes at the stadium at Welford Road as part of bespoke Inside Sport days, which many schools had the chance to experience prior to the Covid-19 lockdown. Charlie Hurley works in the Tigers community team and heads up this exciting programme.

“Tiger Sports gives schools access to our wealth of experience, use of facilities and equipment, as well as the opportunity for youngsters to try out a variety of sports and activities,” he explained. “With lockdown measures and parents working from home, some children haven’t had access to the same opportunities for getting out there and being active, so it is exciting for us to be back up and running to enable them to do just that.” Tiger Sports combines more than 20 years’ experience in community sport alongside fully qualified and DBS-cleared coaches. The club will also be working closely with schools and other learning providers to ensure a Covid-safe environment for all participants. If your school would like to find out more about Tiger Sports, email charles.hurley@ tigers.co.uk, call 0116 217 1315 or head to leicestertigers.com/tiger-sports on the club website.

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MATT HAMPSON FOUNDATION Update from one of the club’s official charities...

It has been incredible to see the strength of community spirit created at the Get Busy Living Centre even when the doors have been closed. The Foundation took the early decision to close the Centre to protect our regular users, but the work of the Foundation has become even more essential since the Coronavirus outbreak in supporting both the physical and mental health of our beneficiaries. As well as delivering rehab kits and gym equipment to beneficiaries, we also launched an app, posted work-out sessions on YouTube and provided live one-to-one physio and personal trainer sessions. To bring people together even when they were apart, we’ve used our WhatsApp group, beneficiary Henry Love’s DJ sets and my weekly quiz which all contributed to keeping spirits up. I know I benefited personally from the regular contact with everyone. The support we have had during this difficult time has been very humbling and it was incredible to see so many of our team, supporters and beneficiaries taking part in the 2.6 Challenge over the weekend when the London Marathon was due to take place and raising more than £30,000, which was a fantastic effort. Once restrictions started to be lifted, in the words of Henry Fraser, we had to “accept and adapt”, so along with our gym equipment supplier Perform Better, we sourced some specialist equipment which allows our personal trainer Sutty to offer outdoor workouts using our covered area at the centre. It’s been wonderful to get the beneficiaries back to the Centre and allow them to safely continue their rehabilitation. After a few weeks of this, we felt the time was right for our physio, Josie, to return and offer one-to-one sessions which have been running now for a couple of weeks.

‘TINS V TITCH’ CHARITY GOLF DAY The Belfry, 1st October 2020 £1850 PER FOURBALL INCLUDES:

Belfry grab and go breakfast, Belfry and Foundation goodie bag, access to the driving range, 18 holes on the famous Brabazon course with pins set as for the final day of Ryder cup; on course competitions throughout the day; VPAR scoring, BBQ and beers. You will play in either Team Tins or Team Titch at this famous Ryder Cup venue which will have just hosted the European Tours ISPS Handa UK Championship so will be in a magnificent condition.!

It all looks and feels very different with Covid questionnaires, temperature checks and full PPE, for the that’scontact the way has To findbut out more or to time registerbeing a team please Clare it Morton: email: clare@ourlegend.com or Call: 07894 981 002 to be and the safety of beneficiaries and staff is paramount. We know we will face many challenges over the coming months, but the past few weeks have been really positive seeing the return of our beneficiaries. The annual Foundation Golf Day will again take place at the world-famous Belfry Hotel and Golf Resort on Thursday, October 1. We are unable to offer the sit-down dinner in the evening but there will be some provision for a barbeque at the close of play and the chance to have a socially-distanced pint in the 19th! If you would like to book one of the 18 teams then please email tommy@hambo.co.uk Stay safe and well and most importantly continue to Get Busy Living. Best wishes, Hambo

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MATCHFILE…

Leicester Tigers 13-7 London Irish Wednesday August 26, 2020 / Gallagher Premiership Round 16 / Attendance: Closed Doors / Referee: Luke Pearce

TEAMS... TIGERS: 15 Freddie Steward 14 David Williams

13 Jaco Taute 12 Matt Scott 11 Nemani Nadolo 10 George Ford 9

Ben Youngs

Ellis Genge

Tom Youngs (c)

Dan Cole

Harry Wells

Blake Enever

Hanro Liebenberg

Tommy Reffell

Jordan Taufua

2P/C

REPLACEMENTS 16 Charlie Clare 17 Nephi Leatigaga 18 Joe Heyes

19 George Martin

Leicester Tigers gained a fifth league win of the season, despite having three tries denied by the officials, in a 13-7 victory over London Irish in the first midweek fixture of the restarted season. Just moments after Tom Youngs had been denied by the TMO as he bounced over from close range, on-loan wing David Williams scored his first senior try for the club, finishing in the right-hand corner after quick transfer of possession from a set-piece on the opposite side of the field as Tigers led 10-0 at half-time. Hanro Liebenberg was then held up over the tryline in the opening minutes of the second half as Tigers built patient possession up front, and debutant wing Nemani Nadolo then missed out as the TMO spotted a deflection forward off Luke Wallace in the build-up. The Exiles finally got on the board with a converted try from scrumhalf Ben Meehan to make it 13-7 with 20 minutes left to play. Tommy Reffell then had a score disallowed for obstruction before Tigers closed out the win with some patience among the forwards on the ball in the closing stages. NOTEBOOK: Tigers gave a debut to Nemani Nadolo on the left wing… Referee Luke Pearce reached a century of Premiership matches... With Harry Wells and George Martin both injured in the first half, Tigers lost a third lock when Calum Green was yellow carded in the second half, and used Nadolo at No8 in that period.

20 Luke Wallace 21 Ben White 22 Zack Henry 23 Jordan Olowofela IRISH: Homer, Parton, Rona, Hepetema, HassellCollins, Jackson, Meehan; Elrington, Matu’u, Kepu, Nott, De Chaves, Donnell, Cowan (c), Tuisue. Reps: Cornish, GoodrickClarke, Chawatama, Cooke, Ioane, Brand, Atkins, Neal

“It’s great to play here, Leicester is one of the biggest clubs in Europe, it’s a huge privilege to represent the Leicestershire people” Nemani Nadolo

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LAST TIME OUT…

Gloucester Rugby 46-30 Leicester Tigers Sunday August 30, 2020 / Gallagher Premiership Round 17 / Attendance: Closed Doors / Referee: Matthew Carley

From 30 points in arrears before half-time, Tigers threatened a remarkable turnaround as they cut the gap to just six points before finally suffering defeat at Gloucester last Sunday. A young visiting team went into an early lead with a Zack Henry penalty before the hosts cut loose in attack. First, scrum-half Joe Simpson grabbed the opening score, before right wing Ollie Thorley added four of his own in a 21-minute spell and then centre Chis Harris dotted down from a breakaway to make it 36-6 with just over half an hour played. But Tigers, with the experience of George Ford, Ben Youngs and Jordan Taufua added from the bench, recovered from the shock to reply with 24 unanswered points and provide hope of an amazing comeback. First, Harry Potter got his first score for the club after Henry’s midfield break, then Taufua and Cameron Henderson scored from close range as they pegged the score back to 36-30. Just when the momentum favoured the visitors, though, Gloucester created some breathing space with a penalty from Billy Twelvetrees and then a late score from Lloyd Evans to finally put the outcome beyond doubt and deny the visitors any share of the points.

TEAMS... TIGERS: 15 George Worth 14 Harry Potter

13 Guy Porter 12 Tom Hardwick 11 Harry Simmons 10 Zack Henry 9

Jack Van Poortvliet

Ryan Bower

Charlie Clare

Joe Heyes

Tomás Lavanini

Blake Enever

Ollie Chessum

Thom Smith (c)

Jordan Coghlan

REPLACEMENTS 16 Jake Kerr 17 Facundo Gigena 18 Nephi Leatigaga 19 Cameron Henderson

20 Jordan Taufua

21 Ben Youngs 22 George Ford

3C / P

23 Dan Kelly GLOUCESTER: Woodward, Thorley, Harris, Twelvetrees, May, Cipriani, Simpson; Rapava-Ruskin, Singleton, Balmain, Slater, Garvey, Ackermann, Ludlow (c), Polledri. Reps: Marais, Fourie, Stanley, Reid, Clement, Varney, Seabrook, Evans

NOTEBOOK: Gloucester nudged 109-108 in front on win count in the 225th meeting of the teams… Thom Smith took over from Ben White as Tigers’ youngest Premiership captain and became the third-youngest in the league’s history… Ollie Chessum and Dan Kelly made debuts… Both teams showed 15 changes to their midweek line-ups.

“Steve wants us to be the quickest learners in the Premiership – we need to learn from the first half and take the positives from the second half” Zack Henry

PREMIERSHIP RUGBY IS BACK

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V NORTHAMPTON SAINTS

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER  KICK-OFF :PM WATCH LIVE ON THE BT MATCH PASS APP. LEICESTER TIGERS SEASON TICKET HOLDERS / WILL RECEIVE A COMPLEMENTARY MATCH PASS FOR EACH LEICESTER TIGERS HOME GAME SHOWN ON BT SPORT FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE / GALLAGHER PREMIERSHIP SEASON.

LEICESTERTIGERS.COM/FIXTURES

CMY

SEASON STATS 2019/20 Date Comp

Opponents

ATTACK Att

Result

DEFENCE D

D Pos

ASPLAND-ROBINSON BATEMAN BATLEY BOLADAU BOWER BRINK CHESSUM CLARE COGHLAN COLE CORTES COSTELOW EASTMOND ENEVER FORD FORSYTH GENGE GIGENA GREEN HARDWICK HARRISON

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SEPTEMBER 2019 Sat 21

PRC

Worcester Warriors

Fri 27

PRC

Exeter Chiefs (7:45pm)

6,037

13-31

● 23-57

13,633

17-07

● 27-07

OCTOBER 2019 Sat 5

PRC

Bath Rugby

13,190

15-00

● 18-07

Sat 12

PRC

Northampton Saints

16,160

10-14

● 22-31

Sat 19

GPR

Worcester Warriors

7,740

13-15

● 16-24

Sun 27

GPR

Saracens

18,533

10-14

● 10-24

17,559

10-06

● 16-13

5,324

13-15

● 11-36

15,250

24-13

● 41-20

NOVEMBER 2019 11

Sat 2

GPR

Gloucester Rugby

Sun 10

GPR

London Irish (2:30pm)

Sat 16

ECC

Pau

Sat 23

ECC

Cardiff Blues (8:00pm)

8-11

● 14-11

Sat 30

GPR

Northampton Saints

15,200

10-24

● 13-36

15,073

24-13

● 59-07

2,500

08-11

● 20-13

7,122

6 11 9

DECEMBER 2019 Sat 7

ECC

Rugby Calvisano

Sat 14

ECC

Rugby Calvisano (1:30pm)

Sat 21

GPR

Exeter Chiefs

21,219

22-14

● 22-31

Sat 28

GPR

Harlequins (4:30pm)

75,500

06-13

● 30-30

6 5

5 7 5

JANUARY 2020

Sat 4

GPR

Bristol Bears (1:00pm)

19,807

21-6

● 31-18

Sun 12

ECC

Cardiff Blues (3:15pm)

16,538

10-14

● 30-20

Sat 18

ECC

Pau (1:00pm)

6,124

7-24

● 17-24

Sat 25

GPR

Bath Rugby

14,029

3-5

● 10-13

23,353

3-6

● 18-09

7,208

3-19

● 03-36

FEBRUARY 2020 Sat 15

GPR

Wasps

Fri 21

GPR

Sale Sharks (7:45pm)

Sat 29

GPR

Worcester Warriors

18,268

8-8

● 14-08

Saracens (1:00pm)

5,500

6-7

● 13-24

MARCH 2020 Sat 7

GPR

AUGUST 2020 6

Sat 15

GPR

Exeter Chiefs (2.00pm)

6-12

● 13-26

Sat 22

GPR

Bath Rugby (4:30pm)

6-26

● 16-38

Wed 26

GPR

London Irish (6:00pm)

10-0

● 13-07

Sun 30

GPR

Gloucester R. (4:30pm)

13-36

● 30-46

SEPTEMBER 2020 Sat 5

GPR

Sale Sharks

Wed 9

GPR

Wasps (5:30pm)

Sun 13

GPR

Northampton S. (2:00pm)

TBA

GPR

Bristol Bears

Sun 20

ECC

Castres Olympique

25–27

ECC

Semi-Finals

OCTOBER 2020 Sun 4

GPR

Harlequins

10–11

GPR

Semi-Finals

Fri 16

ECC

Final

Sat 24

GPR

Final at Twickenham

GPR ECC PRC

Gallagher Premiership Rugby European Challenge Cup Premiership Rugby Cup

TOTAL 62 44 46 4 78 60 34 0

Sta

9 5 13

8 5 5

Started match 5

5 5

Used as a replacement

Bench (not used)

8 10 5 7

11 5

20 5

5 10 5

5 5

5 10 5

Points scored in match 5

10 5 5

5 5 5 5

3 5

8 5

6 5 1

5 5

All kick-off times 3pm unless stated otherwise All UK times

FORD FORSYTH GENGE GIGENA GREEN HARDWICK HARRISON HENDERSON HENRY HEYES HOLMES HUGHES JORDAN KALAMAFONI KELLY KERR LAVANINI LAW LEATIGAGA LEWIS LIEBENBERG LINES McPHILLIPS MAMUKASHVILI MARTIN MAY MURIMURIVALU NADOLO OLOWOFELA POLOTA-NAU PORTER POTTER REFFELL REID SCOTT SIMMONS SMITH SPENCER STEVENS STEWARD TAUFUA TAUTE THOMAS THOMPSON THOMPSTONE TUILAGI VAN POORTVLIET VAN WYK VEAINU VILJOEN WALLACE WELLS WHITE WILLIAMS WORTH B.YOUNGS T.YOUNGS PENALTY TRY

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5 5

9 5

5 5

L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v S A L E S H A R K S | G A L L AG H E R P R E M I E R S H I P

T I G E R S S TAT S 2019/20

TIGERS TOTAL

NAME

APPS

TRIES

PTS

APPS

TRIES

SAM ASPLAND-ROBINSON

8+6

PTS -

GREG BATEMAN

10+5

48+43

JOE BATLEY

3+2

IFEREIMI BOLADAU

4+8

RYAN BOWER

1+1

3+6

CYLE BRINK

OLLIE CHESSUM

CHARLIE CLARE

3+5

JORDAN COGHLAN

6+3

5 15

DAN COLE

12+3

182+56

GASTON CORTES

1+2

2+8

SAM COSTELOW

1+2

KYLE EASTMOND

28+3

BLAKE ENEVER

GEORGE FORD

9+1

102

78+15

863

ANDREW FORSYTH

7+1

22+12

ELLIS GENGE

7+2

54+18

FACUNDO GIGENA

7+11

13+27

TAYLOR GOUGH

0+1

CALUM GREEN

14+2

28+9

TOM HARDWICK

11+7

16+16

121 44

SAM HARRISON

4+5

77+101

CAMERON HENDERSON

0+2

ZACK HENRY

2+1

JOE HEYES

13+9

18+26

OWEN HILLS

0+1

JONAH HOLMES

14+1

40+5

120

RORY HUGHES

CAMERON JORDAN

0+2

2+3

SIONE KALAMAFONI

14+1

63+1

DAN KELLY

0+1

JAKE KERR

4+11

13+28

TOMAS LAVANINI

13+2

HENRI LAVIN

0+1

JONNY LAW

0+1

0+2

NEPHI LEATIGAGA

3+20

SAM LEWIS

6+3

10+9

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T I G E R S S TAT S 2019/20

TIGERS TOTAL

NAME

APPS

TRIES

PTS

APPS

TRIES

HANRO LIEBENBERG

9+2

PTS -

KESTON LINES

0+1

SHALVA MAMUKASHVILI

JOHNNY McPHILLIPS

2+4

GEORGE MARTIN

2+1

150

JONNY MAY

KINI MURIMURIVALU

NEMANI NADOLO

JORDAN OLOWOFELA

10+4

29+12

TATAFU POLOTA-NAU

4+10

18+28

GUY PORTER

HARRY POTTER

TOMMY REFFELL

12+7

15+11

NOEL REID

13+6

MATT SCOTT

HARRY SIMMONS

2+6

6+14

THOM SMITH

1+2

2+2

WILL SPENCER

11+2

29+4

JIMMY STEVENS

0+1

2+9

FREDDIE STEWARD

4+2

4+4

JORDAN TAUFUA

9+3

JACO TAUTE

8+1

JOE THOMAS

5+1

GUY THOMPSON

10+3

25+8

ADAM THOMPSTONE

10+2

143+20

190

MANUSAMOA TUILAGI

119+10

205

JACK VAN POORTVLIET

3+1

KOBUS VAN

Wyk

TELUSA VEAINU

11+1

71+8

160

EW VILJOEN

LUKE WALLACE

1+2

HARRY WELLS

15+8

46+48

BEN WHITE

11+11

23+34

DAVID WILLIAMS

GEORGE WORTH

13+11

39+21

BEN YOUNGS

7+1

198+49

200

TOM YOUNGS

151+40

OFFICIAL PARTNER

Rugby. Tackled. Read match previews, insight and analysis throughout the Gallagher Premiership from some of the biggest names in rugby, including Owen Slot, Stephen Jones and Alex Lowe. Only in The Times and The Sunday Times or visit thetimes.co.uk/premrugby

STAT PACK Take a look behind the facts and figures in the Tigers squad... Supporters have been introduced to a number of additions to the squad already this season, all following in famous footsteps as Tigers players. In these pages for our last home game we spotlighted how Blake Enever, Guy Porter, Harry Potter and Cameron Henderson joined some impressive company in making their Tigers debuts against Bath.

Tom Croft made his debut against Gloucester

Then for the home game against London Irish here 10 days ago, Nemani Nadolo made his first appearance in Tigers colours - joining an even longer list of those who have made their bow against London Irish. The teams have met on only 66 occasions over the years, but Nadolo became the 25th player to be handed a debut in a Tigers-versus-Exiles clash, with all but two of those coming in the professional era. Elsewhere on that list are academy graduates Ollie Smith, Brett Deacon and Jim Hamilton, plus international signings Daryl Gibson, Henry Tuilagi and Darren Morris. Jordan Taufua was Nadolo’s immediate predecessor, making his debut in the trip to the Madejski Stadium earlier this season.

The collection of debutants against Gloucester - which Ollie Chessum and Dan Kelly joined last weekend – is even longer with a total now approaching 100 players. There are some prominent figures in there too, including Billy Foreman, Harry Wilkinson and Sid Penny among the club’s big names in the 19th Century; stalwart Tom Bleasdale (1949); and internationals Martin Corry (1997), George Chuter (2001), Tom Croft (2005) and Jordan Crane (2006). Other Tigers to make their debuts against the Cherry and Whites include Waisale Serevi, Tom Varndell, Brad Thorn and Jonah Holmes, while Toby Flood, Julien Dupuy and Ben Woods all ran out for the first time at Kingsholm for the opening game of the 2008/09 season. Tomás Lavanini, who arrived following Argentina’s World Cup campaign, made his debut against the same rivals earlier this season, and his current first-team squad colleagues Sam Lewis, Harry Simmons and Jake Kerr all registered their first game for Tigers against Gloucester.

Tomás Lavanini in debut action

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L E I C E ST E R T I G E R S v SA L E S HA R KS | GA L L AGHER P R EMI ER S HI P R U GBY

ON THIS DAY...

1908

1970

1992

Percy Lawrie’s seasonal total of 28 tries in 39 games kicked off with a hat-trick in the opening-day win over Stratford-upon-Avon.

Bleddyn Jones, the fly-half in his first full season at Leicester, scored the only try in a 14-5 win over Bedford, with Mike Gavins kicking the other points in John Allen’s first home game as club captain.

Welford Road’s centenary celebrations included a game against an England XV. Steve Hackney scored the home side’s try in an 18-11 defeat, with Nigel Heslop on the mark twice for the visitors. As the club’s History Book notes, one of the main talking points was the display of the “spritely front row” of Rowntree, Cockerill and Garforth, playing together for only the second time.

1925 Tigers ran in four tries in a 23-8 win over Bath with the scores shared by Stuart Smith (2), Morton Holden and Ewart Farndon. 1936 Established as Leicester’s opening opponents each season, Bedford recorded an 18-12 victory as the first of three successive wins at Welford Road. 76

SEP

1953 John Elders, who would become an England coach and selector, made his club debut at centre in a 12-6 win at home to Bedford.

1973 John Ingleby kicked all of the points in a 12-9 win over Nottingham on the day Ray Needham made his debut in the front row. 1978 Tim Barnwell ran in two of the six tries in a midweek win at Nuneaton. 1981 Centres Paul Dodge and Clive Woodward were among the scorers in a 28-4 win at Bedford, in the first game under new captain Steve Johnson.

1959

1987

Brian Wigley claimed a debut try in a home defeat by Bedford, with Cliff Shephard also on the scoresheet.

Paul Dodge led Tigers to a 29-9 win at Bedford, with Ian Bates, Barry Evans and Rob Tebbutt on the scoresheet.

1962

1989

David Bird scored twice in a 21-3 win over a Watcyn Thomas XV in an annual fixture staged to raise funds for the English Schools Rugby Union.

Ben Youngs was born in Norfolk, son of former scrumhalf Nick. After coming through the academy, Ben made his senior debut in February 2007 and is now close to 250 games for the club.

1968 Graham Willars was appointed club captain ahead of the 25-14 win over the Watcyn Thomas XV, with Kevin Andrews and David Matthews claiming tries.

1998 Tim Stimpson made his debut following a move from defending champions Newcastle. He became a five-in-a-row winner as Tigers took a grip on the title up to 2002, as well as becoming a Heineken Cup hero. Pat Howard also made his debut in the seven-try win over Harlequins at the start of a title-winning season. 2004 Seru Rabeni made his debut as a replacement in a 26-19 defeat at Sale Sharks.

2010 Thomas Waldrom, George Skivington and Ed Slater were all debutants in a 27-19 defeat by Northampton.

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TIGERS

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LAST WORD...

v SA L E S H A R KS

T H E S TO RY

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PROGRAMME CREDITS: Cover star: Tommy Reffell

RIGHT PLACE… WRONG TIME

Editorial: Gary Sherrard, Phil Warrington, Jonathan Whitney & Sam Williamson

It was all going according to plan for Malcolm Couzens, one of the Tigers matchday photographers, who was in the right place to capture what could have been the pivotal moment of last week’s game against London Irish. Many of the media in attendance were here to monitor the debut of Nemani Nadolo, and Malcolm was staring down the lens as the wing broke through the Irish defence. Focus, click, click, click, click… Malcolm’s celebrations would have lasted longer than the scorer. But… But let’s just say the referee and TMO are off his Christmas card list. Better luck next time Malc!

Photography: Dave Wainwright, Malcolm Couzens, Geoff Sellars & James Baylis for Tiger Images and the team at Getty Images Design and Production: Ignition Sports Media

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any way or by any means (including photocopying, recording or storing in any medium by electronic means) without the written permission of the copyright holder.

NEXT ISSUE... The boys are back – hear from a group of players enjoying their second spell with Tigers… Welcome to derby day visitors from Northampton... Junior Tigers Club puzzles... News and views from Welford Road

HAPPY BIRTHDAY… Happy birthday to Tigers season ticket holders celebrating a birthday today. We’re sorry that you’re not able to be with us at Welford Road, but we look forward to seeing you again soon. #TigersFamily • • • • • • • • • • •

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