115-598: Leicester Tigers (officially Leicester Football Club ) are a professional rugby union club based in Leicester , England . They play in Premiership Rugby , England's top division of rugby. The club was founded in 1880 and since 1892 plays its home matches at Mattioli Woods Welford Road in the south of the city. The club has been known by the nickname Tigers since at least 1885. In the 2023–24 Premiership Rugby season Tigers finished 8th, this entitled them to compete in
230-563: A British Isles team visited Australia and New Zealand—although a private venture, it laid the foundations for future British and Irish Lions tours; and the 1888–89 New Zealand Native football team brought the first overseas team to British spectators. During the early history of rugby union, a time before commercial air travel, teams from different continents rarely met. The first two notable tours both took place in 1888—the British Isles team touring New Zealand and Australia, followed by
345-488: A haka before each match, leading Welsh Rugby Union administrator Tom Williams to suggest that Wales player Teddy Morgan lead the crowd in singing the Welsh National Anthem, Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau , as a response. After Morgan began singing, the crowd joined in: the first time a national anthem was sung at the start of a sporting event. In 1905 France played England in its first international match. Rugby union
460-472: A 10–3 defeat to Nottingham at their Beeston ground. Also introduced that season was Tigers' first "Youth" XV, based on a collection of the best 14 and 15-year-olds in the county. Only six years later Paul Dodge became the first graduate to win an international cap. Tigers were not involved in the 1974-75 Cup and lost in the 1st round of the 1975-76 Cup . This forced the club into the Midlands qualifiers for
575-553: A Leicestershire XV. Tom Crumbie was appointed secretary on 2 August 1895, a position he held for the next 33 years. Crumbie has been credited with dragging the club to national prominence. He disbanded reserve and third teams making the First XV an invitation side and introducing players from all over the country. Tigers first silverware was the Midlands Counties Cup won for the first time in 1898 against Moseley . Having won
690-533: A first home play-off semi final since 2013, with two games to spare, after a 56–26 win against Bristol Bears . Tigers' winger Chris Ashton broke the Premiership Rugby all-time try scoring record in this match, his hat-trick taking him to 95 career league tries. In the semi-final they faced local rivals Northampton Saints , but much of the build up was focused on recently retired former captain Tom Youngs whose wife, Tiffany, passed away from cancer in week preceding
805-580: A limited number of games, and Cambridge and Oxford continued their annual University Match . The first officially sanctioned international rugby sevens tournament took place in 1973 at Murrayfield, one of Scotland's biggest stadiums, as part of the Scottish Rugby Union centenary celebrations. In 1987, the first Rugby World Cup was held in Australia and New Zealand, and the inaugural winners were New Zealand. The first World Cup Sevens tournament
920-415: A lineout throw is generally awarded to the opposition at the spot on the sideline where they left the field. Exceptions include a kick out "on the full" (i.e. the ball did not land in the field-of-play before going into touch) in which case the lineout would still take place on the sideline but back in line with where the ball was kicked, or when a team takes a free kick from a penalty where they would retain
1035-530: A preferred or standard 68 metre width, this is often used unless a ground has been specifically designed to accommodate a 70-metre rugby field. 100 metres is the typical length, with a line (see below) often marked at halfway with "50" on it, representing 50 metres from each goal line. The variations have been allowed in the Laws, possibly to accommodate older grounds (perhaps even pre-metrification when yards and feet were specified) and developing nations. The field of play
1150-510: A remarkable nine trophies in ten years. This streak started when Leicester won the 1993 Pilkington Cup . In 1993/94 Tigers finished runners up in the Courage League to Bath. Leicester finished as Courage League champion in 1994–95 . The advent of the 1995–96 season brought two important changes: rugby union (and consequently the Tigers) became professional, and European club competition began in
1265-466: A successful penalty kick or a drop goal each score 3 points. The values of each of these scoring methods have been changed over the years. According to World Rugby's Laws of the Game, a typical rugby ground, formally known as the "playing enclosure", is formed by two major zones: The referee (and their assistants) generally have full authority and responsibility for all players and other officials inside
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#17328512516731380-499: A third "Colts XV" also formed. The 1963/64 season saw David Matthews set the record for most consecutive appearances for the club with 109. Matthews was to become captain in 1965 and in 1966/67 lead the club to a record 33 wins. Chalkie White became coach in 1968; the same season Tom Berry became Leicester's first President of the RFU . White was credited with revolutionising Leicester's players in response to rule changes that opened up
1495-534: Is Chatswood Oval in Sydney, Australia, an elliptically shaped cricket ground which is the home of Gordon rugby club, that has curved dead-ball lines to maximise the available in-goal space. Where multiple sports share a field (e.g. a rugby league and a rugby union club sharing one field), lines may be overlaid on top of each other, sometimes in different colours. However, particularly for television, rugby union line markings are generally painted white. Some exceptions include
1610-429: Is a record for consecutive appearances in a Premiership play-off final. In 2014 Leicester finished third and lost, 21–20, to Northampton in the semi-final at Franklin's Gardens . In 2015 Leicester finished third and lost to Bath, 47–10, in the semi-finals. In 2016 Leicester finished fourth and travelled to Allianz Park where they lost to Saracens , 44–17. In 2017 Leicester finished fourth and faced Wasps at
1725-408: Is considered "out-of-bounds" for the ball and the players, normally resulting in the non-infringing team receiving possession of the ball at a restart. The perimeter area can be divided into two areas: For the purposes of determining if a ball is "out-of-bounds" (i.e. has left the playing area), the perimeter area extends indefinitely away from the playing area. When a ball or player goes into touch,
1840-445: Is divided by a solid "halfway" line, drawn perpendicular to the sidelines at their midpoint. A 0.5m line is marked perpendicular to the halfway lines at its midpoint, designating the spot where the kickoffs shall be taken. The areas between each goal line and the halfway line are known as "halves" as in other football codes. A pair of solid lines are also drawn perpendicular to the sidelines, 22 metres (formerly 25 yards) from each end of
1955-860: Is followed primarily in the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, New Zealand, Australia, Pacific Islands - Fiji , Tonga , Samoa , Georgia , Oceania , Southern Africa , Argentina , and in recent times also, Italy , Japan , South America , the United States , Canada and Eastern Europe , its growth occurring during the expansion of the British Empire and through French proponents ( Rugby Europe ) in Europe. Countries that have adopted rugby union as their de facto national sport include Fiji , Georgia, Madagascar , New Zealand, Samoa , Tonga , and Wales . International matches have taken place since 1871 when
2070-399: Is recorded simply as playing "forward" until the 1927–28 season. From then onward Prentice is recorded as having mainly played prop for Leicester, despite his international caps coming at either Number 8 or Lock. Prentice was a regular try scorer for Leicester scoring 7 tries in his first season and 8 in 31 games the next. By 1926 Prentice had become Leicester's secondary goal-kicker, taking
2185-440: Is the third and final row of the forward positions, who are often referred to as the loose forwards. The three positions in the back row are the two flankers and the number 8 . The two flanker positions, known as the blindside flanker and openside flanker, are the final row in the scrum. They are usually the most mobile forwards in the game. Their main role is to win possession through 'turn overs'. The number 8 packs down between
2300-573: The 2003 Rugby World Cup Final winning England side including captain Martin Johnson . Leicester Football Club was formed on 3 August 1880 by the merger of three smaller teams: Leicester Athletic Society, Leicester Amateurs and Leicester Alert. The club's first game was a scoreless draw on 23 October against Moseley at the Belgrave Road Cycle and Cricket Ground . On 10 September 1892 Leicester played their first game at Welford Road against
2415-425: The 2010–11 final for a rematch with Saracens losing 22–18. 2011–12 saw Tigers finish second in the table and beat Saracens 24–15 in the semi-finals at Welford Road. In the 2012 final Harlequins beat Leicester 30–23. In 2013 Leicester finished 2nd and beat Harlequins 33–16 in the semi-final at Welford Road. Leicester won their tenth Premiership title by beating Northampton , 37–17. These nine consecutive finals
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#17328512516732530-494: The 2012 LV Cup . In 2013 Tigers won their record extending 10th English title defeating local rivals Northampton Saints 37–17. The next year Northampton beat Tigers 21–20 in the Premiership semi final at Franklin's Gardens. The next two years Tigers suffered heavy away defeats in the semi-finals to Bath (47–10) and Saracens (44–17). On Monday 2 January 2017, Leicester sacked Richard Cockerill as Director of Rugby. Aaron Mauger
2645-459: The 2019-20 Premiership Rugby season was suspended for 5 weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom , with group training suspended indefinitely on 23 March. After the cancellation of games the club implemented 25% wage cuts on all staff, including players, on 22 April 2020 it was reported that Tigers players were unhappy with this and had engaged a solicitor to represent them, though this
2760-551: The 2022 season , and appeared in a record nine successive Premiership finals, from 2005 to 2013. Leicester is one of only three teams never to have been relegated from the top division. Leicester have appeared in five European finals, the joint-second most overall, as well as the two victories they have also lost finals three times, in 1997 , 2007 and 2009 . In 2021 they played in the European Rugby Challenge Cup final. Six Leicester Tigers players were members of
2875-462: The 2024–25 European Rugby Champions Cup . The current head coach is Michael Cheika who was appointed in June 2024. Leicester have won 21 major titles. They were European Champions twice, back-to-back in 2001 and 2002 ; have won a record 11 English Championships , five RFU Knockout Cups and three Anglo-Welsh Cups , most recently in 2017 . Leicester most recently won the Premiership Rugby title in
2990-515: The AJ Bell Stadium in Salford. Leicester hold the record for most Premiership titles (11), the most consecutive Premiership Final appearances (9) and the most Play off appearances (14). They were the first team to achieve an away semi-final victory in the Premiership play-offs (against Gloucester at Kingsholm on 18 May 2008). The club's formal name is Leicester Football Club but is widely known by
3105-516: The Barbarians for the first time, holding them to a 9–9 draw. The fixture became a vital feature in the club's calendar delivering large attendances until open professionalism and league rugby in the 1990s forced it to gradually be abandoned due to fixture congestion. Tigers won the Midlands Counties Cup three more times in four years to cement their place as the midland's premier side before
3220-616: The Heineken Cup Final to Wasps . Howard left the club at the end of the season. Howard was succeeded for one season by the coach of Argentina Marcelo Loffreda , who started after the 2007 Rugby World Cup . Loffreda had a torrid time in charge despite getting to two finals. After losing the Anglo Welsh Cup final to the Ospreys , Leicester became the first side to win an away game in the Premiership playoffs by beating Gloucester in
3335-459: The Premiership , their worst ever finish. After a delayed start to the season due to the 2019 Rugby World Cup Tigers fortunes did not improve, and on 21 January 2020 it was announced after months of speculation that England's forwards coach Steve Borthwick would join the club as head coach once his duties with England were finished. His start was later confirmed as July 2020. On 16 March 2020
3450-533: The Ricoh Arena , losing 21–20. After a four-year spell of missing the play offs Leicester returned to the play offs in 2022 after finishing the regular season top. In the semi-final they beat Northampton Saints 27–14. In the final they faced Saracens, Freddie Burns scored an 80th minute drop goal to win the final 15-12 and seal Leicester's 11th English Championship. The next season in 2023 Leicester finished third and lost to Sale Sharks , 21–13, after travelling to
3565-705: The Rugby Football Union in 1947, at this point he stopped being a selector for the national side, and held the position for 15 years until ill health forced him to retire in 1962. During the Second World War he served in the Royal Army Service Corps and was taken prisoner. Note 2 : Matthew Mullineux decided that after losing the first test that he should withdraw from further test matches, handing on field captaincy to Frank Stout , but remained tour captain. Note 3 : David Bedell-Sivright
Leicester Tigers - Misplaced Pages Continue
3680-976: The Top 14 in France, the Bunnings NPC in New Zealand, the League One in Japan and the Currie Cup in South Africa. Other transnational club competitions include the United Rugby Championship of club teams from Ireland, Italy, Scotland, South Africa and Wales, European Rugby Champions Cup in Europe, and Super Rugby in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Primitive forms of football included harpastum , played by
3795-438: The league , securing Champions Cup rugby for the first time in two years. Tigers started the following season strongly, five wins in the opening five rounds was the club's best start in the Premiership era, the club remained unbeaten for 15 games in all competitions, the second best start to a season ever, but failed to tie the record after losing to Wasps on 9 January 2022. A week later Leicester overcame an 18-point deficit in
3910-556: The split between rugby union and rugby league . Historically rugby union was an amateur sport, but in 1995 formal restrictions on payments to players were removed, making the game openly professional at the highest level for the first time. Rugby union spread from the Home Nations of the United Kingdom and Ireland , with other early exponents of the sport including Australia , New Zealand , South Africa and France . The sport
4025-456: The 1830s, "running in" with the ball in hand was allowed but subject to hacking and "collaring". Former Rugby School student Albert Pell is credited with having formed the first "football" team while a student at Cambridge University . Major private schools each used different rules during this early period, with former pupils from Rugby and Eton attempting to carry their preferred rules through to their universities. A significant event in
4140-565: The 92 they played. During the 2003–04 season, Leicester's form suffered and with eight games left in the season Dean Richards was sacked. After Richards' departure Tigers turned to his assistant coach John Wells , who guided Leicester to the regular season top of the league in his only full season. In Martin Johnson and Neil Back 's last game for Leicester they lost the Premiership Final to London Wasps . Pat Howard succeeded Wells as
4255-607: The Head Coach. Howard coached the club for two seasons losing a Premiership final to Sale in his first season. Over the summer of 2006, the core of a new pack was recruited, and in Howard's second season Leicester won their first piece of silverware for five years, winning the Anglo-Welsh Cup , and sealed the club's first domestic league and cup double after winning the Premiership final 44–16 against Gloucester . However, Leicester lost
4370-586: The International Rugby Football Board (IRFB) and the International Rugby Board (IRB), has been the governing body for rugby union since 1886, and currently has 116 countries as full members and 18 associate members. In 1845, the first laws were written by pupils at Rugby School; other significant events in the early development of rugby include the decision by Blackheath F.C. to leave The Football Association in 1863 and, in 1895,
4485-506: The Laws: Generally, points where the dashed lines intersect other lines will be marked with a "T" or cross shape, although the extensions of dashed lines are generally not drawn within 5 metres of the goal lines or sidelines, to allow a clear demarcation of the field of play's boundaries. The Laws require the playing area to be rectangular in shape, however variations may be permitted with the approval of relevant unions. A notable example
4600-440: The Midlands Counties Cup every year from 1898 to 1905, they dropped out "to give other teams a chance". On their return to the competition in 1909 Tigers won the cup again. In 1903 Jack Miles became the first home-produced England international. Leicester's status as a premier club was confirmed in 1905 when a crowd of 20,000 was on hand to see the club face The Original All Blacks , losing 28–0. December 1909 saw Tigers play
4715-565: The Midlands Merit Table with a record of played 8 won 6. It took 6 years before Leicester were drawn at home in the cup but in 1977-78 they received four in a row on their way to a first Twickenham final against Gloucester . The game ended in a 6–3 loss to the Cherry and Whites; the attendance was 25,282 - more than double the previous season. Cup success also coincided with Tigers' membership more than doubling from 750 in 1978 to 2,000 by
Leicester Tigers - Misplaced Pages Continue
4830-754: The New Zealand team touring Europe. Traditionally the most prestigious tours were the Southern Hemisphere countries of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa making a tour of a Northern Hemisphere, and the return tours made by a joint British and Irish team. Tours would last for months, due to long traveling times and the number of games undertaken; the 1888 New Zealand team began their tour in Hawkes Bay in June and did not complete their schedule until August 1889, having played 107 rugby matches. Touring international sides would play Test matches against international opponents, including national, club and county sides in
4945-472: The Romans, where two opposing teams competed to throw a large ball into an opposition net, fighting for possession of the ball. Medieval Irishmen played caid , carrying an inflated bladder and using arched trees as goals. The Welsh played an inter-parish game using a wooden ball called cnapan . Frenchmen played soule and Georgians played lelo. "Football" as a game was well established by 1803 at Rugby School and by
5060-516: The Tigers title was sealed in the penultimate match of the season. In the 1999-2000 Premiership season Leicester retained their title. Tigers' third successive Premiership title was sealed early on 17 March 2001. In the 2001 Heineken Cup final Tigers beat Stade Français 34–30 to secure the club's first continental title. Tigers had won the inaugural Premiership playoffs the week before so also sealed an unprecedented treble. That summer Martin Johnson
5175-475: The Wallabies (Australia's national team) who often have yellow markings. Local clubs may use black, yellow, or other colours on grass, with other surfaces possibly requiring different marking techniques. Unlike association football, where on-field advertising is strictly forbidden in the laws, World Rugby allows sponsors logos to be painted on the playing surface. This is another way in which clubs can make money in
5290-431: The backs and the forwards is that the backs are expected to have superior kicking and ball-handling skills, especially the fly-half, scrum-half, and full-back. The half-backs consist of two positions, the scrum-half and the fly-half , also known in the Southern Hemisphere as half-back and first five-eighth respectively. The fly-half is crucial to a team's game plan, orchestrating the team's performance. They are usually
5405-422: The ball is kicked into touch by a player who had at least one foot on or behind their own 22-metre line, the line-out formed at the spot where the ball crossed the touch-line instead of being taken in line with the spot from where it was kicked. Additional broken or dashed lines (of 5 metre dash lengths, according to the Laws ) are drawn in each half or on each side of, the field, each with specific purposes under
5520-417: The ball. Forwards play a vital role in tackling and rucking opposing players. Players in these positions are generally bigger and stronger and take part in the scrum and line-out. The forwards are often collectively referred to as the 'pack', especially when in the scrum formation. The front row consists of three players: two props (the loosehead prop and the tighthead prop) and the hooker . The role of
5635-578: The case of Northern Hemisphere rugby, or provincial/state sides in the case of Southern Hemisphere rugby. Between 1905 and 1908, all three major Southern Hemisphere rugby countries sent their first touring teams to the Northern Hemisphere: New Zealand in 1905, followed by South Africa in 1906 and Australia in 1908. All three teams brought new styles of play, fitness levels and tactics, and were far more successful than critics had expected. The New Zealand 1905 touring team performed
5750-416: The club after refusing to cut their pay, with 5 players including Manu Tuilagi and Telusa Veainu leaving later that week after refusing to amend their contracts in light of the global pandemic. The completion of the delayed 2019-20 Premiership Rugby season between August and October saw another 11th-place finish for Leicester, saved from relegation only by a points deduction from Saracens for breaching
5865-553: The club's first home-produced England captain in 1934 and was captain when four Leicester players were part of the first England side to beat the All Blacks . Gadney also became the club's second player to captain the British Lions on their tour to Argentina . 1936-37 was the worst season since 1889-90 for the club with only 14 wins from 39 matches. Tigers first televised game by the BBC
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#17328512516735980-442: The club's starting scrum half in the 2022 Premiership final & previous attack coach. On 22 February 2023, it was announced that Dan McKellar would take the role on a full time basis from 1 July 2023, previously having been Australia 's forwards coach. After a single season, the third worst in the club's league history, McKellar was dismissed on 22 June 2024. On 27 June 2024, Tigers appointed fellow Australian Michael Cheika as
6095-558: The clubs that had favoured the Rugby Rules formed the Rugby Football Union in 1871, and their code became known as " rugby football ". In 1895, there was a major schism within rugby football in England in which numerous clubs from Northern England resigned from the RFU over the issue of reimbursing players for time lost from their workplaces. The split highlighted the social and class divisions in
6210-459: The cup in 1980–81 by beating Gosforth 22–15. Leicester was knocked out in the semi-finals of the 1982 Cup . This was also Chalkie White 's last season with the club after 30 years as a player, administrator or coach. A new generation of players debuted in the early '80s: Dean Richards , John Wells , and Rory Underwood . In 1985 in the penultimate step towards league rugby, the Merit Table A
6325-483: The duties when club captain Harold Day was not selected. He succeeded Day as both captain and place-kicker for the 1928–29 season where he was top scorer with 134 points in 31 games and on 11 February 1928 made his international debut for England in a 7–6 win over Ireland at Lansdowne Road . Prentice played in England's next two games against France and Scotland to secure the 1928 Five Nations Championship and
6440-489: The early development of rugby football was the production of a written set of rules at Rugby School in 1845, followed by the Cambridge Rules that were drawn up in 1848. Formed in 1863, the national governing body The Football Association (FA) began codifying a set of universal football rules. These new rules specifically banned players from running with the ball in hand and also disallowed hacking (kicking players in
6555-469: The end of 1979. Leicester secured their first national trophy, the 1978–79 John Player Cup , by defeating Moseley 15–12. Tigers retained the cup in 1979–80 beating London Irish 21–9 at Twickenham in front of a record crowd of 27,000. 1979–80 also saw Tigers win the Midlands Merit Table for the first time. To celebrate the club's centenary a six-match tour to Australia and Fiji was arranged in August 1980,
6670-480: The field are divided into eight forwards (two more than in rugby league ) and seven backs . There are typically significantly more forwards on the bench than backs with, for example, South Africa having a 7-1 split in favour of forwards in their August 2023 match against New Zealand in Twickenham. A 6-2 or 5-3 split is more common. The main responsibilities of the forward players are to gain and retain possession of
6785-401: The field of play and called the 22-metre lines, or "22"s. An area at each end, also known as the "22", is bounded by, but does not include, the sidelines, goal line and 22-metre line. In this area, a defensive player who cleanly catches a ball kicked by the other team, without the ball having already touched the ground after the kick, is entitled to claim a free kick, or " mark ". Additionally, if
6900-406: The field to accommodate fitter and faster (or heavier) players. Fixed cameras on tripods and advertising hoardings are often the main culprits for injuring players in the perimeter area. Doug Prentice Frank Douglas Prentice (21 September 1898 – 3 October 1962) was an English rugby union player and administrator who played 239 games for Leicester Tigers between 1923 and 1931,
7015-477: The final; in Martin Johnson & Neil Back 's last game for the club they lost 39–14 to Wasps . The following season Tigers finished second beating London Irish 40–8 in their first Play Off semi final before losing the final 45–20 to Sale . In 2007 Leicester won their first title via the playoffs. They defeated Bristol 26–14 in semi-final before beating Gloucester 44–16 at Twickenham . On 18 May 2008 Leicester defeated Gloucester at Kingsholm to become
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#17328512516737130-466: The first 13 whilst on the Lions tour. On 18 April 1931 he was given the honour of captaining the side in his final appearance, a 25–5 win against Blackheath at Welford Road . After retiring from playing rugby in 1931 Prentice moved into the administration of the game. He became an England national team selector in 1932 and was manager of the 1936 British Lions tour to Argentina . He became Secretary of
7245-458: The first game was played between Scotland and England at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh. The Rugby World Cup , first held in 1987, is held every four years. The Six Nations Championship in Europe and The Rugby Championship in the Southern Hemisphere are other important international competitions that are held annually. National club and provincial competitions include the Premiership in England,
7360-539: The first half of the 19th century. Rugby is based on running with the ball in hand. In its most common form, a game is played between two teams of 15 players each, using an oval-shaped ball on a rectangular field called a pitch. The field has H-shaped goalposts at both ends. Rugby union is a popular sport around the world, played by people regardless of gender, age or size. In 2023, there were more than 10 million people playing worldwide, of whom 8.4 million were registered players. World Rugby , previously called
7475-417: The first team to win a Premiership semi-final playoff away from home. Leicester lost the 2008 final 26–16 to Wasps. In 2008–09 Tigers topped the table and beat Bath 24–10 in the semi-final. The final was the closest yet, Tigers winning 10–9 against London Irish . In 2010 the side retained the trophy winning 33–27 against Saracens , Dan Hipkiss scored the decisive try in the closing stages. Tigers reached
7590-443: The first time since 2005. After a 40–6 defeat in the opening game of the 2018-19 Premiership Rugby season O'Connor was sacked by the club with immediate effect. Geordan Murphy was placed in charge of the side on an interim basis. Murphy was then made the permanent head coach on 18 December 2018 despite the team being on an eight match losing run. Results did not improve and a final day defeat against Bath saw Leicester finish 11th in
7705-425: The first to receive the ball from the scrum-half following a breakdown, lineout, or scrum, and need to be decisive with what actions to take and be effective at communicating with the outside backs. Many fly-halves are also their team's goal kickers. The scrum-half is the link between the forwards and the backs. They receive the ball from the lineout and remove the ball from the back of the scrum, usually passing it to
7820-538: The first undertaken by an English club in the southern hemisphere. Prestige fixtures staged at Welford Road to mark the centenary were the visit of the Irish Wolfhounds , Romania , and Queensland . Tigers retained the Midlands Merit Table title in November with an undefeated record. On 25 April 1981 Tigers' Dusty Hare broke the world record for points scored in first-class fixtures with 3,658 points. Leicester retained
7935-537: The fly-half. They also feed the scrum and sometimes have to act as a fourth loose forward. There are four three quarter positions: two centres (inside and outside) and two wings (left and right). In the Southern Hemisphere, the inside centre is commonly referred to as the second five-eighth, while the outside centre is simply known as the centre. The centres will attempt to tackle attacking players; whilst in attack, they should employ speed and strength to breach opposition defences. The wings are generally positioned on
8050-512: The following year as they defeated Saracens 33–27. After an historic placing kicking competition decided the 2009 Heineken cup semi-final , Leicester lost the 2009 Heineken Cup Final to Irish province Leinster . On Friday 6 November 2009 Leicester hosted the world champion Springboks of South Africa and the young Leicester side triumphed 22–17. Domestic success continued with Tigers reaching Premiership finals but losing in 2011 and 2012, against Saracens and Harlequins respectively, and winning
8165-570: The form of the Heineken cup . The 1995/96 season was another of just missing out to perennial rivals Bath who secured a league and cup double after defeating Leicester in the Pilkington Cup final . In Leicester's debut season in the Heineken Cup the team reached the final , losing 28–9 against Brive . Leicester won the 1997 Pilkington Cup Final 9–3 against Sale . That summer Martin Johnson
8280-543: The game. 1970/71 saw Peter Wheeler emerge as first-choice hooker having made his debut the year before, he ended the season on England's tour to the Far East . Attendance for the annual Barbarians game hit a nadir with a crowd of only 2,518. The 1971/72 season saw changes that would radically change both the club and the game. The RFU introduced a national Knockout Cup competition for clubs and on 16 November 1971 Tigers played their first competitive cup match since 1914,
8395-414: The goal lines, equivalent to American football's "end zones". The in-goal areas must be between 6 and 22 metres (6.6 and 24.1 yards) deep and cover the full width of the field. A ball grounded in this area by an attacking player will generally result in a try being awarded, unless there has been a previous infringement, or the player has gone out-of-bounds whilst in possession of the ball. The perimeter area
8510-434: The grandslam. Leicester did not prosper however recording more losses than wins for the first time since 1889–90. His second season as captain saw a return to regular winning ways; Tigers won 26 of their 39 games whilst Prentice was again top scorer with 106 points in 26 matches. Prentice was selected to take part in the 1930 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia , and after former Tigers teammate Wavell Wakefield
8625-499: The late 1980s and early 1990s several key members of the Leicester pack came through the youth ranks and became key first-team contributors, most notably lock Martin Johnson who debuted in 1989 and later became club captain; flanker Neil Back who joined in 1990; and the front row trio of Graham Rowntree , Richard Cockerill , and Darren Garforth who started 166 games together between 1992 and 2002. From 1993 to 2002 Leicester enjoyed
8740-435: The match. His brother Ben Youngs started the match, and it was his half back partner George Ford who inspired the victory scoring a "full house" with a try, conversion, penalty & drop goal for 22 points in a 27–13 win. In the final Leicester faced Saracens , a re-match of the 2010 & 2011 finals. Ford wasn't to last long in the final withdrawing injured in the 23rd minute & being replaced by Freddie Burns . With
8855-491: The matching tied 12-12 it was Burns who scored the 80th minute drop goal to win Leicester their 11th English title, only two seasons after finishing in 11th place. Speculation began that Borthwick was in line to succeed Eddie Jones as England head coach after the 2023 Rugby World Cup , but after a poor 2022 Autumn internationals Jones was replaced by Borthwick on 19 December 2022. He was initially replaced as Leicester head coach in an interim capacity by Richard Wigglesworth ,
8970-414: The most important attributes of a good full-back are dependable catching skills and a good kicking game. Rugby union is played between two teams – the one that scores more points wins the game. Points can be scored in several ways: a try , scored by grounding the ball in the in-goal area (between the goal line and the dead-ball line), is worth 5 points and a subsequent conversion kick scores 2 points;
9085-453: The new head coach. Leicester Tigers formed a women's team on 15 July 2021, launched in partnership with Lichfield Ladies . * In 2001 & 2002 the winners of the league were considered champions with the winners of the playoffs considered champions from 2003 onward. Leicester have participated in 16 of the 22 Premiership Play Offs, reaching nine consecutive finals between 2005 and 2013. Leicester finished first in 2004–05 going directly to
9200-636: The nickname "Tigers". The first known use of the name was after a game against Bedford School in February 1885, the Leicester Daily Post reporting that "the Tiger stripes were keeping well together". The origin of the nickname is uncertain most probably coming from the side's chocolate and yellow playing kit, but it may have come from the club's links to the Leicestershire Regiment , who had received
9315-601: The nickname 'Tigers' after serving in India , and from 1825 had worn a cap-badge with a 'royal' tiger to mark the connection. In their early years the side were also known as "The Death or Glory Boys" on account of their black shirts. In the 1926–27 season Leicester started using letters to identify their forwards; The Birmingham Post report for the match against Bath on 6 October 1926 noted "Leicester's forwards were picked out easily as their jerseys were decorated with large bold letters A-G". On 12 September 1931 against Old Blues
9430-416: The only time. This era saw a huge increase in the popularity of the Barbarians annual fixture with crowds of 15,000 in 1973 & 1975, 17,000 in 1974 and 21,000 in 1976. This contrasted with usual crowds in the low hundreds. 1976-77 saw the introduction of regional "Merit Tables" by the RFU, the first step on the road to full leagues. Based around traditional fixtures Tigers finished second to Moseley in
9545-561: The outbreak of war in 1914. The visit of the Invincible All Blacks on 4 October 1924 saw a record attendance at Welford Road of 35,000 that stands to this day. Tigers were beaten 27–0 by the tourists. Club captain Doug Prentice captained the 1930 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia . The first BBC radio broadcast of a Tigers game was against Waterloo on 29 November 1930; Tigers won 21–5. Bernard Gadney became
9660-414: The outside of the backline. Their primary function is to finish off moves and score tries. Wings are usually the fastest players in the team and are elusive runners who use their speed to avoid tackles. The full-back is normally positioned several metres behind the back line. They often field opposition kicks and are usually the last line of defence should an opponent break through the back line. Two of
9775-440: The playing area and perimeter area, although depending on how large the perimeter is, other surfaces such as dirt, artificial turf, etc. may be used outside of a "sliding" perimeter from the bounds of the playing area. For the most part, the "playing area" is where the majority of play occurs. The ball is generally considered live whilst in this area, so long as players do not infringe, with special rules applied to specific zones of
9890-442: The playing area. The playing area consists of: A typical "field of play" is generally 100 metres long by 68–70 metres wide for senior rugby, depending on the specific requirements of each ground. The Laws require the field of play to be between 94 and 100 metres (103 and 109 yards) long, with a width of between 68 and 70 metres (74 and 77 yards). As other football codes, such as association football and rugby league, have specified
10005-432: The playing enclosure. Fences or ropes (particularly at amateur clubs) are generally used to mark the extent of this area, although in modern stadia this may include the entire arena floor or other designated space. The Laws, above all, require that the playing enclosure's surface be safe, whilst also permitting grass, sand, clay, snow or conforming artificial turf to be used; the surface would generally be uniform across both
10120-430: The practice was expanded to the whole team. This tradition lasted until 1998 when Premiership Rugby rules forced Leicester to abandon lettering and Tigers first wore numbers on 5 September 1998 against Harlequins at Welford Road . Rugby union Rugby union football , commonly known simply as rugby union or often just rugby , is a close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in England in
10235-645: The pre-1995 period of rugby union was marked by frequent accusations of " shamateurism ", including an investigation in Britain by a House of Commons Select committee in early 1995. Following the introduction of professionalism trans-national club competitions were started, with the Heineken Cup in the Northern Hemisphere and Super Rugby in the Southern Hemisphere. The Tri Nations , an annual international tournament involving Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, kicked off in 1996. In 2012 , this competition
10350-415: The professional era and is also often used by host nations, professional leagues and tournaments as additional revenue streams, particularly when games are broadcast. In recent years, augmented reality technology has been used to replace painting to protect the surface or save costs on painting fields, producing a similar effect for broadcast albeit sometimes with poorer results. The in-goal areas sit behind
10465-425: The right to throw-in. The perimeter area should be clear and free of obstructions and heavy, solid objects which could pose a danger to players for at least 5 metres from the playing area, according to the Laws. Players often leave the playing area whether accidentally or due to being forced off of the field, sometimes sliding or needing to slow down from a sprint. Many venues at elite levels leave larger spaces around
10580-446: The salary cap. On 13 November 2020, just 8 days before the start of the 2020-21 Premiership Rugby season Geordan Murphy left as director of rugby in a decision described as "mutual". With new head coach Steve Borthwick now in charge of team selection Leicester got off to a winning start against Gloucester . In his first season at the club Borthwick guided Leicester to the 2020-21 European Rugby Challenge Cup final and 6th place in
10695-478: The second half to beat Connacht , a Hosea Saumaki try sealing the win on the final play of the game, and secure progress to their first Champions Cup knock out stages since 2016. In Europe, Leicester progressed past Clermont Auvergne over two legs, despite getting red cards in both matches, but lost at home to Leinster 23–14, after falling behind 20–0 in the first half to the Irish side. Domestically they secured
10810-455: The semi-finals, but lost to Wasps in the final. After this final Loffreda was sacked. Heyneke Meyer was the board's choice to replace Loffreda, but family circumstances led to his resignation. Richard Cockerill took over, the appointment was confirmed as permanent on 17 April 2009. Cockerill lead Leicester to two Premiership titles in as many years. In the 2009 Premiership final Leicester beat London Irish 10–9, and Tigers retained their title
10925-574: The shins), both of which were legal and common tactics under the Rugby School's rules of the sport. In protest at the imposition of the new rules, the Blackheath Club left the FA followed by several other clubs that also favoured the "Rugby Rules". Although these clubs decided to ban hacking soon afterwards, the split was permanent, and the FA's codified rules became known as " association football " whilst
11040-427: The sport in England. Although the rules of the game were not a factor in the split, the breakaway teams subsequently adopted some rule changes and this became the separate code of " rugby league ". The RFU's code thereafter took on the name "rugby union" to differentiate it from rugby league, but both versions of the sport are known simply as "rugby" throughout most of the world. The first rugby football international
11155-432: The tallest players in the team and specialise as line-out jumpers. The main role of the lock in line-outs is to make a standing jump, often supported by the other forwards, to either collect the thrown ball or ensure the ball comes down on their side. Locks also have an important role in the scrum, binding directly behind the three front row players and providing forward drive. The back row, not to be confused with 'Backs',
11270-506: The test vs. Argentina in Cardiff. Brian O'Driscoll was injured at the beginning of the first test against New Zealand. Gareth Thomas replaced him as tour captain. Note 10 : Sam Warburton was injured in the second test. Alun Wyn Jones replaced him as captain for the third test. Note 11 : Tour captain Sam Warburton was named on the bench for the first test. Peter O'Mahony was
11385-424: The two locks at the back of the scrum. The role of the number 8 in the scrum is to control the ball after it has been heeled back from the front of the pack, and the position provides a link between the forwards and backs during attacking phases. The role of the backs is to create and convert point-scoring opportunities. They are generally smaller, faster and more agile than the forwards. Another distinction between
11500-453: The two props is to support the hooker during scrums, to provide support for the jumpers during line-outs and to provide strength and power in rucks and mauls. The third position in the front row is the hooker. The hooker is a key position in attacking and defensive play and is responsible for winning the ball in the scrum. Hookers normally throw the ball in at line-outs. The second row consists of two locks or lock forwards. Locks are usually
11615-483: Was badly wounded at Passchendaele in 1917. Prentice began his rugby career with local side Westleigh, at the time Leicester was strictly an invitation only club and his debut for side came on 26 November 1923 away to Neath , Tigers lost 37–6 but Prentice scored one of Leicester's two tries. Prentice quickly established himself in the Leicester's first choice side playing 24 of the season's 30 remaining games. Forwards' positions were not specialized in this period and he
11730-416: Was captain for the first test, but Tommy Smyth remained the tour captain. Note 6 : Bleddyn Williams captained in the third and fourth tests v New Zealand and the first test v Australia. Note 7 : Cliff Morgan captained in the third test. Note 8 : David Watkins captained in the second and foruth tests v New Zealand. Note 9 : Michael Owen captained the Lions in the first tour game,
11845-575: Was captain of the 1930 British Lions tour to New Zealand and Australia and served as Secretary of the Rugby Football Union between 1947 and 1962. Despite attending a rugby playing school in Leicester Prentice was a keen footballer in his youth. During The First World War he served with the Royal Artillery and, when posted to France, joined the ANZACs whose enthusiasm for rugby converted him. He
11960-463: Was extended to include Argentina , a country whose impressive performances in international games (especially finishing in third place in the 2007 Rugby World Cup) was deemed to merit inclusion in the competition. As a result of the expansion to four teams, the tournament was renamed The Rugby Championship. Each team starts the match with 15 players on the field and typically seven or eight substitutes but this varies at amateur level. The 15 players on
12075-484: Was forced to withdraw he also became captain of the tour. At the age of 34 and past his prime playing days Prentice only played in 12 of the 29 matches. He did captain the side in the second test against the New Zealanders and the sole test against Australia , both of which were lost. He returned from the tour and played a final season for Leicester, featuring in 24 games he top-scored with 104 points despite missing
12190-629: Was held at Murrayfield in 1993. Rugby Sevens was introduced into the Commonwealth Games in 1998 and was added to the Olympic Games of 2016. Both men and women's Sevens took place at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. Rugby union was an amateur sport until the IRB declared the game "open" in August 1995 (shortly after the completion of the 1995 World Cup), removing restrictions on payments to players. However,
12305-576: Was included as an event in the Olympic Games four times during the early 20th century. No international rugby games and union-sponsored club matches were played during the First World War, but competitions continued through service teams such as the New Zealand Army team . During the Second World War no international matches were played by most countries, though Italy, Germany and Romania played
12420-577: Was injured during the first test. Teddy Morgan took over captaincy on the field but Bedell-Sivright remained tour captain. Note 4 : The team that John Raphael captained was not selected by the four Home Nations governing body, but had been organised by Oxford University and billed as the English Rugby Union team. However, it was considered the Combined British team by Argentina because it also included three Scots. Note 5 : Jack Jones
12535-424: Was launched for two seasons where Tigers finished fourth and second. League rugby was launched in England with the 1987–88 Courage League and all sides now played all other sides in a round-robin. Tigers lost only one match all season and the end of the 1987–88 season Tigers became England's first official champions. Tigers finished the 1988–89 Courage League in sixth place, their joint-worst ever finish. During
12650-404: Was named as captain for the 1997 British Lions tour to South Africa . In February 1998 Dean Richards was appointed as Director of Rugby following Bob Dwyer 's sacking. Under Richards, Leicester entered a golden age, winning four consecutive Premiership Rugby titles in 1999 , 2000 , 2001 and 2002 , as well as back to back Heineken Cups in 2001 and 2002. During the 1998–99 Premiership ,
12765-586: Was named captain for the 2001 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia , becoming the first man to lead two tours. Leicester became the first side to retain a European title after beating Munster 15–9 in the 2002 Heineken Cup Final . Leicester also retained their fourth successive Premiership title in 2002. This brought the club's total to six championships, tying Bath's record. During this time Leicester went 57 games unbeaten at home from 30 December 1997 to 30 November 2002 and earned 52 successive wins. During these four seasons, Leicester lost only 14 games out of
12880-471: Was on 3 February 1951 when they beat London Scottish 14–0 at the Richmond Athletic Ground . The club underwent a significant restructure in the 1956/57 season. The practice of being an "invitation" club featuring only a First XV stopped and Tigers adopted a more traditional membership club based approach with multiple sides. The "A XV" was to be re-introduced under the name "Extra First XV" with
12995-399: Was placed in temporary charge of the team, winning the 2017 Anglo-Welsh Cup , until Matt O'Connor was announced as the new head coach. Under O'Connor Tigers secured their 13th consecutive playoff appearance where they lost narrowly to Wasps 21–20. In the 2017–18 season successive home defeats to Northampton and Newcastle in Leicester's final two home games saw Tigers miss the playoffs for
13110-629: Was played on 27 March 1871 between Scotland and England in Edinburgh . Scotland won the game by one goal and one try to one goal. By 1881 both Ireland and Wales had representative teams and in 1883 the first international competition, the Home Nations Championship had begun. 1883 is also the year of the first rugby sevens tournament, the Melrose Sevens , which is still held annually. Two important overseas tours took place in 1888:
13225-449: Was quickly denied, on 11 May 2020 CEO Simon Cohen left the club after an 8-year tenure and was replaced by Andrea Pinchen. On 4 June 2020 it was revealed that Tigers were set to lose up to £5m of revenue during the coronavirus enforced shutdown, eventually making 31 employees redundant. On 29 June it was reported that the pay dispute which started in April could result in several players leaving
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