Leicester Tigers v Bath Rugby Digital Matchday Programme (03-01-2021)

LEICESTER TIGERs

VERSUS

BATH RUGBY

G A L L AG H E R P R E M I E R S H I P S U N DAY, JA N UA R Y 3, 2 0 2 1 K I C K- O F F 3.0 0 P M

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L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

THE TEAMS

LEICESTER TIGERS

B AT H R U G BY

S TA R T I N G X V -

FREDDIE STEWARD

T P C D

15

T P C D

ANTHONY WATSON

-

KOBUS VAN WYK

T P C D

14

T P C D

JOE COKANASIGA

ENG/ LIONS ENG

SAF

JACO TAUTE

T P C D

13

T P C D

JONATHAN JOSEPH

ENG / LIONS

SCO

MATT SCOTT

T P C D

12

T P C D

CAMERON REDPATH

-

FIJI

NEMANI NADOLO

T P C D

11

T P C D

RUARIDH McCONNOCHIE

ENG

ENG

GEORGE FORD

T P C D

10

T P C D

JOSH MATAVESI

FIJI

ENG / LIONS

BEN YOUNGS

T P C D

9

T P C D

BEN SPENCER

ENG

ENG

ELLIS GENGE

T P C D

1

T P C D

BENO OBANO

-

ENG / LIONS

TOM YOUNGS (C)

T P C D

2

T P C D

TOM DUNN

ENG

ENG / LIONS

DAN COLE

T P C D

3

T P C D

WILL STUART

ENG

HARRY WELLS

T P C D

4

T P C D

JOSH McNALLY

-

CALUM GREEN

T P C D

5

T P C D

CHARLIE EWELS (C)

-

HANRO LIEBENBERG

T P C D

6

T P C D

MIKE WILLIAMS

-

TOMMY REFFELL

T P C D

7

T P C D

SAM UNDERHILL

-

JASPER WIESE

T P C D

8

T P C D

TAULUPE FALETAU

-

CHARLIE CLARE

T P C D

ENG ENG WAL / LIONS

R E P L AC E M E N T S 16

T P C D

JACK WALKER

-

NEPHI LEATIGAGA

T P C D

17

T P C D

JUAN SCHOEMAN

-

-

JOE HEYES

T P C D

18

T P C D

CHRISTIAN JUDGE

-

-

CAMERON HENDERSON

T P C D

19

T P C D

ELLIOTT STOOKE

-

-

LUKE WALLACE

T P C D

20

T P C D

JOSH BAYLISS

-

-

JACK VAN POORTVLIET

T P C D

21

T P C D

ZACH MERCER

ENG

-

ZACK HENRY

T P C D

22

T P C D

WILL CHUDLEY

-

KINI MURIMURIVALU

T P C D

23

T P C D

SEMESA ROKODUGUNI

SAM

FIJI

M AT C H O F F I C I A L S Referee: Mr Wayne Barnes Assistants: Mr Simon Harding & Mr Wayne Falla TMO: Ms Clare Hodnett Citing Officer: Mr Will James A N Y L AT E C H A N G E S W I L L B E C O N F I R M E D O N T H E W E B S I T E

ENG

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L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

CONTENTS 3 TEAMS 7

WELCOME FROM THE CHAIRMAN

9

STEVE BORTHWICK’S NOTES

12

CLUB NEWS

16

ANNUAL REVIEW WITH BEN YOUNGS

23

MEET THE OPPOSITION

28

MATCH PREVIEWS

32

FULL FIXTURE LIST

34

PLAYER STATS

39

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP UPDATE

40

THE TIGERS MATCHFILE

45

FROM THE BOARDROOM

48

TIGERS PLAYING SQUAD

56

COMMUNITY TEAM

60

THE TIGERS FOUNDATION

62

JUNIOR TIGERS CLUB

65

MATT HAMPSON FOUNDATION

66

ON THIS DAY

69

STAT PACK

72

TIGERS TAKEAWAY PUB QUIZ

75

TIGERS FANZONE

LEICESTER FOOTBALL CLUB PLC Telephone 0116 319 8888 www.leicestertigers.com Facebook.com/LeicesterTigers Twitter @LeicesterTigers instagram.com/leicestertigers Executive Chairman: Peter Tom CBE Chief Executive: Andrea Pinchen Head Coach: Steve Borthwick Directors: Petar Cvetkovic,

Duncan Green, Ben Kay MBE, Fintan Kennedy, Tom Scott Company Secretary: Mary Ford Life Members: Garry Adey, John Allen, Bob Beason, Paul Dodge, Matt Hampson OBE, Dusty Hare MBE, Roy Jackson, Martin Johnson CBE, Ian Smith, Peter Wheeler Club Statistician/Historian: Stuart Farmer Child Protection Officer: Matt Johnson

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)

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L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

Peter Tom CBE

CHAIRMAN I wish you all a very healthy and Happy New Year. I hope you were able to enjoy Christmas despite the circumstances and that better times are ahead for us all in 2021.

I would like to begin a new year by thanking all of our season ticket holders, fans, sponsors and partners for your incredible support during the challenges we have faced since early in 2020. You all play a huge part in the club and will be central to driving the Tigers forward.

Our season ticket numbers show just how much our supporters want to be part of this club, even when they are not able to attend games, while our commercial relationships have been strong enough to welcome new main partners Topps Tiles and other sponsors, while also retaining those who have been with us for a long period despite the effects of the pandemic on their own businesses.

That speaks volumes for the Tigers and also for your support of the club. We are extremely grateful.

While matches have remained behind closed doors for most clubs since the 2019-20 season restarted, Premiership Rugby has had tremendous support from BT Sport in showing all games live and making home games available to season ticket holders.

BT have been very supportive during their time in rugby and I am delighted that they have agreed a new contract as league broadcasters.

On the field in recent weeks, I congratulate everyone involved in back-to-back wins in Europe, and also Matias Moroni and Luan de Bruin on their debuts, and to James Whitcombe who made his senior debut in Bayonne,

continued support and look forward to welcoming you back to Mattioli Woods Welford Road in due course.

Finally, I am delighted that we can kick off a New Year with the news that Matt Hampson has

Winning start in Europe

following in the footsteps of his father Martin who played for the Tigers during the 1980s.

It was disappointing that the trip to Newcastle Falcons had to be called off but the safety and wellbeing of our people, our community and our game must come first.

Now it is back to matchday and a visit from our old rivals at Bath Rugby in the opening fixture of 2021. I thank you all for your

been awarded an OBE and send my congratulations on behalf of everyone at the club.

Matt is a total inspiration and his work to support others has been remarkable ever since his accident.

This recognition is well-earned and shows just how much of an impact he has in our community.

Well done Matt, we look forward to seeing you back at Tigers soon.

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L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

Head coach Steve Borthwick

FROM THE TOUCHLINE CLICK HERE LISTEN TO TO AM TALK WITH TE STEVE ON LTTV

“Happy New Year to all of our supporters. Whenever the team takes to the pitch, we are representing the Leicestershire community, we are representing our Tigers community and you are all part of that. I wish you all a safe and enjoyable 2021.”

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L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

CLUB NEWS SHAREHOLDER SUPPORT

STILL HOME TO RUGBY BT Sport will continue as the home of Gallagher Premiership Rugby in the UK for the next four years.

Subscribers will continue to enjoy up to 80 live games each season through to 2024.

Andy Haworth, managing director of BT Sport, said: “This has been an extremely difficult year for sport and we hope this agreement helps to give clubs some certainty for the future. We will continue to play our part in bringing the best TV coverage of top-flight club rugby to our viewers while they are not able to attend live sport.”

Darren Childs, chief executive of Premiership Rugby, said: “BT Sport have been incredibly supportive partners of Premiership Rugby since they showed their first live match in 2013. This year we have innovated together, with Match Pass, and in bringing all the season’s games to fans through a difficult period for live sports.”

SPECIAL DELIVERY The digital programme is emailed directly to season ticket holders before being loaded on to the club website while games are played behind closed doors, so you can stay involved in matchday wherever you are. Editions are also archived on the website if you’ve missed any.

Tigers shareholders approved the re-election of five club directors in the formal business of an AGM hosted online during December.

Club Chairman Peter Tom CBE said: “We have all got used to new ways of doing many things over the last nine months and just before Christmas the club hosted its AGM in a new format.

“There was overwhelming support from shareholders for the re-appointment to the board of Duncan Green, Ben Kay, Fintan Kennedy, Tom Scott and chief executive Andrea Pinchen, and I would like to thank them all for their continued hard work on behalf of the Tigers.

“Thank you also to the shareholders who placed votes and to those who submitted questions.”

TIGERS LOTTO WINNERS There are more than 270 chances a year to win with TigersLotto, while also helping to support the work of the club’s successful academy set-up.

Membership is £52 a year and you can join online or phone the ticket office. The latest £100 weekday draw winners are Colin Lawson, Stamford; Paul Dunkley, Leicester; Caroline Nash, Loughborough; Barbara Haycox, Lincoln and Sarah Coates, Leicester. The New Year’s Day draw winner was Steven Cearns of Whitchurch.

FIXTURES UPDATED Premiership Rugby have now confirmed dates and times for games up to Round 10, a sequence which includes home games against Sale Sharks, Worcester Warriors and Harlequins during January and February. See page 32 for full details and use the Ecal service on the club website to update your own diary.

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L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

T IGE R S TA L K

Ben Youngs’

2020 VISION Scrum-half Ben Youngs reflects on some landmark events with club and country during a uniquely challenging year...

L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

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L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

T IGE R S TA L K

EARLY DAYS The year kicked off with a 31-18 victory against high-flying Bristol on January 4 in just Ben’s sixth appearance since heading home from the Rugby World Cup with a runners-up medal. It was also the day which marked a final appearance for long-time colleague Sam Harrison before the popular scrum-half departed for a new challenge in Australia with his family.

At that stage, barely anyone had heard about Coronavirus, social-distancing, Covid or Zoom.

The club also secured a place in the knockout stages of the European Challenge Cup before he departed for the Six Nations at the end of January.

SIX NATIONS The international campaign started with disappointing defeat for England in Paris, and then Ben was named among the replacements before emerging to help steer England to a 13-6 win over Scotland.

A first Championship try from clubmate Ellis Genge at Murrayfield injected fresh life

into England’s Calcutta Cup performance and into the squad with three more games to come.

Then, as February rolled on, George Ford provided the breakthrough score with a seventh-minute try against Ireland on the way to a 24-12 win at Twickenham.

Youngs then produced a manof-the-match performance in his 99th cap, gained in the 33-30 victory over Wales which put England back in the driving seat in the Championship. He played a part in all three tries, scored by backline trio Anthony Watson, Elliot Daly and Manu Tuilagi.

Little did we know then of the drama that the rest of 2020 would hold for all of us.

WAITING GAME After winning a 99th cap on March 7, no one thought another seven months would have elapsed before Ben was finally able to celebrate his century of Red Rose representation.

Between those two landmark dates, the domestic season was suspended at the end of March, with training grounds closed, staff furloughed, and players maintaining fitness from home.

Ben and his wife Charlotte were also home-schooling their two children.

“I’m in charge of dot-to-dot, PE and lunch,” Ben told the Tigers podcast in April with lockdown still in its infancy. “The school have been incredible in sending information on what we should do, full credit to them.

“I’m just bringing the morale and the constant energy I can do that.”

Training remotely meant using a WattBike and basic weights as well as running in a local park.

“The best way to get in shape is to not get out of shape,” he remarked.

Ben was among the Tigers players who Made The Call to supporters, checking how they were coping with lockdown and hoping to see them back on matchdays very soon, while the blank months also featured dramatic change in the playing squad and at all levels of the club before news, finally, of a scheduled restart in mid-August and a re-arranged finale to the Six Nations.

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L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

T IGE R S TA L K SIGNING IN Ben was among those with previous experience of working with Steve Borthwick when the new head coach arrived on July 1.

“There is no doubt Steve and Eddie Jones are the two best coaches I have come across,” he said.

“He is unbelievably thorough, very clear about how he wants to play, he drives a constant standard and desire to improve, and to improve others.

“He will drive it until you get it. He has a really good manner about him and he comes with a huge amount of respect.”

After 244 club appearances, Youngs agreed a new contract alongside England colleagues Ford and Genge as well as brother Tom. “I’ve had some great times and over the last few years it has been really tough and I didn’t want to walk away from it just because it got tough,” he said.

“Coming back to the club after a World Cup there is that feeling of ‘Do I need something new to potentially find the next challenge’ and ‘what can I get my teeth into that is going to get the best out of me’. When I got wind that Steve was coming in, that was enough for me, it feels like a whole new challenge in itself while staying put.”

Saints as he celebrated his 250th Tigers appearance and 200th first-team start in style with derby-day victory.

LEICESTER LANDMARK On Sunday, September 13, Ben picked an opportune time to score his first try of the season - running in an early score in a 28-24 victory over Northampton

The occasion would, of course, have been immeasurably better with a full house cheering

him along, but there was an emotional conclusion to the day when his father Nick, also a former Tigers and England scrum-half, shared in the celebrations with a presentation in the dressing room after the final whistle, while revealing his own emotions about seeing his sons play for the club.

“I guess for me playing for Leicester once was amazing because I know how much it means to my family,” Ben said with the cheers of his teammates ringing in his ears.

“To play this many times is all I could have dreamt of.

“I’ve met fantastic people on this journey and I have had some great times, and some challenging times, in this shirt. Thanks to the coaching staff and thanks to Tom, dad and mum.”

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L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

T IGE R S TA L K

CLUB RULES The new head coach had a good look at the breadth and depth of his squad with games coming thick and fast after the season’s restart, as teams played nine rounds between August and the start of October - all behind closed doors - with Tigers also having to fit in the European Challenge Cup knockout stages.

There was understandable disappointment with a second successive 11th-placed finish in

the league, alongside defeat in the last four of the European tournament, but the squad could also see a longer-term aim involving knowledge of the new coach’s goals, establishing relationships as a group of new players settled in and seeking to improve day by day in training and gametime.

“You have to look at the big picture,” Youngs told the club’s LTTV. “You can look at the short term as much as you like, but

if you are playing three games in eight days you have to use your squad. There were some results that perhaps give a false perception of where we’re at.

“I’m in the environment every day and Steve is the most diligent and hard-working coach, doing everything to get the club back to where it should be.

“The players have a responsibility and we will continue to get better week to week, putting bits in place.”

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L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

T IGE R S TA L K THE CENTURION England’s final game of the 2020 Six Nations, against Italy in Rome, had spent six months on hold before, finally, Ben was able to run out for his 100th cap and celebrate with a victory which would also secure the Championship title and man-ofthe-match plaudits.

He ran out at the head of the team, followed by England hooker Jamie George, who was marking his own 50th cap.

“I told him, ‘Don’t just leave me out there’,” Youngs said. “It was a bit strange with no crowd, but I would rather have 100 and no one be there than have not done it. It is what it is.”

Just like his landmark day with Tigers seven weeks earlier, Ben wasted no time in making his mark, scoring a try after just four minutes - his 15th for his country - and then adding a second on the way to a 34-5 victory which, combined with a French win over Ireland, secured the title, a third in five attempts under Eddie Jones.

“I didn’t want to make a lot of it before the game, so

I could just focus on the match rather than anything else,” he said afterwards.

“Looking back, I have met some awesome people in those 100 caps, I’ve played with some incredible players and against some incredible people. I think about all the work it has taken to get there and keep wanting to go for more. I look at all the people who have invested time and effort into me, everything has an effect in trying to get there, including support from my wife and my family.

“I didn’t want to get too drawn into it [the landmark] too much.

I was very much driven by doing my duty to the team and trying to win the Six Nations. That was my only focus.

“Then afterwards I was able to appreciate what had happened and what I had achieved. The boys helped with that with the presentations and stuff.”

The international season ended with successive wins over Georgia, Ireland, Wales and France as England lifted the Autumn Nations Cup, with Ben now on 104 caps to go alongside

two with the British & Irish Lions in a professional career which began back in 2006-07.

FITTING END With the Six Nations Championship and Autumn Nations Cup victories safely stored, it was back to work with Tigers and a seasonal debut off the bench in the bonus-point win over Brive which kicked off the Challenge Cup campaign in style.

A physical and energetic performance from the whole team provided the platform and, after brother Tom had provided the opening score, Ben joined the action to supply the finish to a sweeping attack for the team’s second just after the hour mark.

Cyle Brink added a third and then Youngs put Nemani Nadolo away for the bonus-point try in the final minute of the game.

It was to be a final outing of the calendar year as he watched the win in Bayonne from home and then saw the Christmas trip to Newcastle Falcons cancelled to end an unprecedented 12-month period in his career and the history of the game.

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L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

T O D AY ’ S O P P O S I T I O N

BATH RUGBY

 F O R M AT I O N Y E A R 18 6 5  19 7 5 F L O O D L I G H T S E R E C T E D AT T HE R E C

10

KNOCKOUT CUP WINS

585 MOST APPEARANCES PHIL HALL

1

EUROPEAN CHAMPIONS CUP WIN

– HISTORY –

2

EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP WINS

161

143/268

TOP TRY SCORER TONY SWIFT

TRIES/GAMES FOR ‘PRINCE OF CENTRES’ JEREMY GUSCOTT

– 2020-21 GALL AGHER PREMIERSHIP RECORD –

7

TRY SCORERS

52:10

SEASON’S FASTEST BONUS-POINT TRY

232 PREMIERSHIP APPEARANCES B Y B AT H D o R S T U A R T H O O P E R

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L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

SQUAD 2020-21 – BACKS – Pos / Honours / Age / Last Club DARREN ATKINS FB

-

BEN SPENCER 23

Academy

32

Exeter

WILL CHUDLEY SH

-

England

28

Saracens

26

London Irish

23

Yorkshire Carnegie

29

London Irish

ANTHONY WATSON

MAX CLARK C

SH

W/FB England & Lions MAX WRIGHT

25

Academy

23

London Irish

C

-

JOE COKANASIGA W

England

TOM DE GLANVILLE FH

-

ONE TO WATCH JONATHAN JOSEPH

21

Academy

21

Yorkshire Carnegie

29

Atlanta Falcons

24

Yorkshire Carnegie

C

England & Lions

OLLIE FOX SH

-

ALEX GRAY W

-

MAX GREEN SH

-

GABE HAMER-WEBB W

-

20 Academy

JOSH MATAVESI C

Fiji

30 Newcastle

RUARIDH McCONNOCHIE W

England

29

England 7s

25

England 7s

33

Scarlets

21

Sale

33

Army

WILL MUIR W

-

RHYS PRIESTLAND FH

Wales

CAMERON REDPATH C

-

SEMESA ROKODUGUNI W

England

An elusive runner and line-breaker, Joseph played his early rugby at Derby and then Newbury before making the professional grade at London Irish. He joined Bath in 2013 and has a half-century of caps for England, playing at wing as well as centre.

25

L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

– F OR WA RDS – Pos / Honours / Age / Last Club ONE TO WATCH

ROSS BATTY H

-

34

Rotherham

23

Academy

27

Edinburgh

24

Harlequins

24

Academy

26

Academy

25

Academy

JOSH BAYLISS BR

-

TOM DUNN H

England

27

Academy

JAMIE BHATTI P

Scotland

LEWIS BOYCE P

-

TOM DOUGHTY H

-

TOM ELLIS BR

-

CHARLIE EWELS L

England

TAULUPE FALETAU No8 Wales & Lions

30 Dragons

CHRISTIAN JUDGE P

-

27

Cornish Pirates

JOSH McNALLY L

-

30 London Irish

ZACH MERCER BR

England

23

Academy

26

Wasps

22

Academy

29

Sharks

BENO OBANO P

-

MILES REID BR

-

HENRY THOMAS

JUAN SCHOEMAN P

-

28

Leicester

England

29

Sale

Fl

England

24

Ospreys

P

-

22

Academy

24

Yorkshire Carnegie

29

Leicester

JACK WALKER 27

Gloucester

WILL STUART P

England

WILL VAUGHAN

ELLIOTT STOOKE L

P

SAM UNDERHILL

WILL SPENCER L

Born and bred in Bath, hooker Dunn was the supporters’ Player of the Year in 2020 and made his Test debut with England on the way to the Six Nations crown, two years after his first call-up to national ranks.

H

-

MIKE WILLIAMS 24

Wasps

BR

-

TRAIN LIKE A PRO SHOP ONLINE leicestertigers.com/clubshop

Training T-Shirt Men £35 Training Gy Shorts Men £35

LEICESTER TIGERS KIT 2020/21

Training Vest Men £38

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L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

THE BIG MATCH

Tigers welcome Bath Rugby in Round 5 of the 2020-21 league season

FROM BOTH SIDES Tigers and Bath kick off a third century of rivalry this afternoon, after the visitors took the honours in the 200th meeting of the teams during the restart period last season.

The clubs first met in the season before World War One, when each side won its home game, with Bath triumphant in 72 of the previous encounters - including the last four in Premiership rugby - to 115 wins for Tigers and 13 draws.

The most recent meeting, back in August, was the first home game for Tigers after the restart. But, despite leading through two early penalties from Johnny McPhillips, it was Bath who took control with four tries in the 20 minutes up to half-time scored by forwards Will Stuart, Tom Dunn and Lewis Boyce, and wing Ruaridh McConnachie.

Beno Obano and Tom De Glanville added further scores in the second half of a Round 15 encounter, while Charlie Clare and Luke Wallace claimed their first tries for Tigers.

Both Bath and Tigers were sidelined as a consequence of Covid-19 last weekend.

The visitors run out today in their alternate white kit, while Wayne Barnes is the referee, taking charge for the 232nd time in Premiership rugby.

Liverpool-born and a former Loughborough University student, Peter Short joined Tigers in 1999 from Moseley and made a total of 49 appearances in four years with the club at lock or back row, while sharing in three league title wins and back-to-back European Cup wins. He then spent two seasons with Narbonne before clocking up a century of games for Bath, where he also gained England Saxons recognition. He ended his pro career at Exeter Chiefs.

LAST FIVE PREMIERSHIP MEETINGS 2019-20

2019-20

2018-19

2018-19

2017-18

29

L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

ELSEWHERE IN ROUND 5 The last six meetings of the two clubs have been evenly split with three wins apiece, while the Chiefs’ only victory at the Ricoh since 2015 was in September 2018.

Bristol Bears v Newcastle Falcons Kick-off on Friday was brought forward to mid-afternoon following forecast of wintry weather, with Bristol looking to build on the 27-19 win over Harlequins, where they fought back from 9-5 down at half-time to take a first Premiership win at The Stoop since 2001. Bears have won three in a row in the league since defeat at Wasps in Round 1.

Gloucester Rugby v Sale Sharks Gloucester have won only one of their last four matches - at home to Ulster in the European Champions Cup - but have lost just twice at Kingsholm in any tournament since August.

Falcons remain unbeaten after seeing their Round 4 match at home to Leicester called off and have not lost away in any competition since a trip to Gloucester in May 2019.

Worcester Warriors v Harlequins Harlequins returned one positive test from this week’s round of PCR testing and, after a contact tracing process of their last game against Bristol Bears and training this week, a further six players were ruled out of selection, preventing the club from fielding a full front row for the scheduled match on Friday which was therefore cancelled.

A Premiership panel will determine points allocation.

Warriors have not won since Round 1 but have lost just one of their last five meetings with Quins.

Wasps v Exeter Chiefs Wasps have won their last three matches in all competitions since defeat by Newcastle in Round 3. That was their only home loss since August.

The Sharks’ only defeat in their last four encounters with Gloucester was at Salford in Round 2 last season, whilst Sale’s most recent victory at Kingsholm was in December 2017.

London Irish v Northampton Saints Sunday’s other fixture was cancelled after London Irish returned a number of positive tests and had players unavailable due to the contact tracing protocols. In consultation with Public Health England, the match was called off and the Irish training ground closed. A panel will be convened to determine allocation of points.

Irish have won two of the three matches in all tournaments at their new home in Brentford, while Saints ended a 13-match losing run with a 29-10 victory over Worcester at Christmas. Northampton’s only defeat to Irish in their last five fixtures was at Franklin’s Gardens last January.

Exeter Chiefs have not been beaten in the Gallagher Premiership since they last visited the Ricoh Arena on October 4, when Wasps ran out 46-5 victors.

GALLAGHER PREMIERSHIP TABLE

Sale Sharks have lost their last three matches in all tournaments and will look to avoid four in a row for the first time since 2016-17. Sharks have lost just once away from home in the Gallagher Premiership since August.

Pld

W

D

L

T

F

A

1

Exeter Chiefs

4

4

0

0

20

136

39

Pts 20

2

Newcastle Falcons

4

4

0

0

8

61

42

16* 15

3

Bristol Bears

4

3

0

1

12

95

72

4

Sale Sharks

4

2

0

2

9

89

77

11

5

Harlequins

4

2

0

2

11

105

113

10

6

Bath Rugby

4

2

0

2

7

48

76

10*

7

Wasps

4

2

0

2

11

90

110

9

8

London Irish

4

1

0

3

3

45

41

7*

9

Northampton Saints

4

1

0

3

12

98

109

7

10

Leicester Tigers

4

1

0

3

5

60

72

7*

11

Gloucester Rugby

4

1

0

3

12

99

124

5

12

Worcester Warriors

4

1

0

3

6

51

102

4

*including cancelled fixtures allocation in Round 4

Proud to support Leicester Tigers

O P E N D AY S d m u . a c . u k /o p e n d a y s

SAT 5 DECE M B E R

LCFC Matchday Ad - A5 - 148x210mm.indd 1

SAT 16 JAN UARY

16/11/2020 13:22

32

D

T

C

P

D Pos

FORD

P

ENEVER

C

DIAZ BONILLA

T

DE BRUIN

DEFENCE

Result

COLE

HT

COGHLAN

ATTACK Att

CLARE

Opponents

CHESSUM

V

BRINK

Date Comp

BOWER

SEASON STATS 2020-21

ASPLAND-ROBINSON

L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

NOVEMBER 2020 Sat 21

GPR

H

Gloucester Rugby

-

22-08

● 38-15

4

3

4

-

2

1

1

-

2

Sun 29

GPR

A

London Irish (Sun 4.15)

-

03-13

● 09-22

-

-

3

-

1

1

5

-

6

5

5 6

DECEMBER 2020 Sat 5

GPR

H

Exeter Chiefs

-

08-22

● 13-35

1

1

2

-

5

5

-

-

8

Fri 11

ECC

H

Brive (Fri 7:45)

-

14-06

● 39-17

4

2

5

-

1

-

4

-

4

Sat 19

ECC

A

Bayonne (8pm)

-

17-13

● 28-20

3

2

3

-

2

2

2

-

4

Sat 26

GPR

A

Newcastle Falcons (2pm)

5

4

9

0

8

7

6

0

C-C

JANUARY 2021 Sun 3

GPR

H

Bath Rugby (Sun 3pm)

Sat 9

GPR

A

Northampton Saints (4.30pm)

Fri 15

ECC

H

Bayonne (7:45pm)

W/O 22

ECC

A

Brive

Sat 30

GPR

H

Sale Sharks

FEBRUARY 2021 Sat 6

GPR

H

Worcester Warriors

Sat 13

GPR

A

Harlequins

Sat 20

GPR

H

Wasps

W/O 26

GPR

A

Bristol Bears

MARCH 2021 W/O 5

GPR

H

London Irish

W/O 12

GPR

A

Gloucester Rugby

W/O 19

GPR

A

Exeter Chiefs

W/O 26

GPR

H

Newcastle Falcons

APRIL 2021 W/O 2

ECC

W/O 9

ECC

Round of 16

W/O 16

GPR

A

Bath Rugby

W/O 23

GPR

H

Northampton Saints

W/O 30

ECC

Quarter-finals

Semi-finals

May 2021 W/O 7

GPR

A

Sale Sharks

W/O 14

GPR

H

Harlequins

Fri 21

ECC

W/O 28

GPR

A

Worcester Warriors

Final at Marseille

JUNE 2021 W/O 4

GPR

H

Bristol Bears

W/O 12

GPR

A

Wasps

W/O 18

GPR

Semi-finals

Sat 26

GPR

Final at Twickenham GPR ECC PRC

Gallagher Premiership Rugby European Challenge Cup Premiership Rugby Cup

TOTAL

5

9

10

5

13 5

Started match

0 5

Used as a replacement

13

Bench (not used) 5

5

5

5 5 5

Points scored in match

L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

3 5

8 5

PENALTY TRY

T.YOUNGS

B.YOUNGS

WORTH

WILLIAMS

WEISE

WIGGLESWORTH

WHITE

WELLS

WALLACE

VAN WYK

VAN POORTVLIET

TAUTE

TAUFUA

STEWARD

SMITH

SIMMONS

SCOTT

REFFELL

POTTER

PORTER

OLOWOFELA

NADOLO

MURIMURIVALU

MORONI

MARTIN

MAMUKASHVILI

MCPHILLIPS

LIEBENBERG

LEWIS

LEATIGAGA

LAVANINI

KERR

KELLY

HEYES

HENRY

HENDERSON

HARDWICK

GREEN

GIGENA

GENGE

FORD

33

34

L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

PLAYER STATS 2020-21

NAME Sam ASPLAND-ROBINSON Ryan BOWER Cyle BRINK Ollie CHESSUM Charlie CLARE Jordan COGHLAN Dan COLE Luan DE BRUIN Joaquín DÍAZ BONILLA Blake ENEVER George FORD Ellis GENGE Facundo GIGENA Calum GREEN Tom HARDWICK Cameron HENDERSON Zack HENRY Joe HEYES Dan KELLY Jake KERR Tomás LAVANINI Henri LAVIN Jonny LAW Nephi LEATIGAGA Sam LEWIS Hanro LIEBENBERG Shalva MAMUKASHVILI

APPS 1+2 2+3 1 1+4 3+1 0+1 1+3 0+1 0+1 0+1 1 3+1 1 4 2+3 1+1 0+1 2 3+1 4 -

STATS 2020-21 TRIES 1 1 1 1 -

PTS 5 5 20 10 5 5 37 -

APPS 8+6 4+9 2+3 4 5+13 7+4 189+57 0+1 1+3 4+2 81+16 58+20 16+29 35+10 3+3 9+3 21+30 3+2 15+30 19+2 0+1 0+2 7+26 10+11 17+2 0+1

TIGERS TOTAL TRIES 1 2 1 3 8 7 1 1 3 2 1 2 1 -

PTS 5 10 5 15 20 910 35 5 5 15 68 10 5 10 5 -

35

L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

NAME Johnny McPHILLIPS George MARTIN Matias MORONI Kini MURIMURIVALU Nemani NADOLO Jordan OLOWOFELA Guy PORTER Harry POTTER Tommy REFFELL Matt SCOTT Harry SIMMONS Thom SMITH Freddie STEWARD Jordan TAUFUA Jaco TAUTE Jack VAN POORTVLIET Kobus VAN WYK Luke WALLACE Harry WELLS Ben WHITE Jasper WIESE Richard WIGGLESWORTH David WILLIAMS George WORTH Ben YOUNGS Tom YOUNGS Â

APPS 1 2 1 3+2 2 2+2 3 2 4 2+2 4 0+1 2 0+1 4+1 2+3 4 3 0+1 4

STATS 2020-21 TRIES 1 1 1 1 1 1 2

PTS 5 5 5 5 5 5 10

APPS 2+6 2+1 1 5 6 30+11 7+3 7+1 19+13 9 10+14 5+5 12+4 11+7 14+2 3+3 3 5+4 54+50 27+40 4 3 3+1 41+21 202+51 158+40

TIGERS TOTAL TRIES 1 1 3 6 2 4 1 2 2 3 1 1 3 6 1 1 3 38 20

PTS 20 5 15 30 10 20 5 10 13 15 5 5 15 30 5 5 25 210 100

360°

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39

L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

update

Spotlight on how things stand in the preliminary stage after two rounds...

In the event of teams being level on match points, ranking is decided as follows: (i) points difference (ii) tries scored (iii) fewest number of players suspended for disciplinary incidents (iv) if still equal, by drawing lots The top four Challenge Cup clubs will be ranked 1-4 in the Round of 16 and have home advantage. The Heineken Champions Cup clubs will be ranked 5-12, with the best four playing at home, while the four remaining Challenge Cup clubs will be numbered 13-16.

CHALLENGE CUP

Pld

W

D

L

T

F

A

Pts

1

London Irish

2

2

0

0

60

25

9

10

2

Ospreys

2

2

0

0

77

44

6

10

3

Cardiff Blues

2

2

0

0

61

20

7

9

4

Leicester Tigers

2

2

0

0

67

37

7

9 6

5

Zebre Rugby

2

1

1

0

43

41

5

6

Agen

2

1

0

1

36

34

5

5

7

Benetton Rugby

2

1

0

1

44

48

7

5

8

Newcastle Falcons

2

1

0

1

46

50

5

4

9

Pau

2

1

0

1

41

46

5

4

10

Bayonne

2

0

1

1

45

53

5

2 2

11

Worcester Warriors

2

0

0

2

49

62

6

12

Brive

2

0

0

2

33

57

2

1

13

Castres Olympique

2

0

0

2

32

65

5

0

14

Stade Franรงais

2

0

0

2

20

72

3

0

Round 3

PRELIMINARY STAGE FIXTURES Agen v Benetton Rugby Leicester Tigers v Bayonne Newcastle Falcons v Castres Olympique Ospreys v Worcester Warriors Pau v London Irish Stade Francais Paris v Cardiff Blues Zebre Rugby Club v Brive Bayonne v Zebre Rugby Club Benetton Rugby v Stade Francais Paris Brive v Leicester Tigers Cardiff Blues v Newcastle Falcons Castres Olympique v Ospreys London Irish v Agen Worcester Warriors v Pau Round 4

As part of a new look for this season against a backdrop of Covid-19 and its ongoing impact on the professional club game, teams play only four games in the pool stage of the European Challenge Cup. Tigers sit in fourth place in the standings at the halfway stage following a bonus-point win over Brive and the victory in Bayonne last time out. The reverse fixtures will be played during January.

The top eight teams in the standings after four rounds go through to the Round of 16, where they will be joined by eight who drop down from the Champions Cup.

TOP POINTS SCORERS Stephen Myler Jamie Shillcock Jarrod Evans Sam Parry Antonio Rizzi Tommaso Allan Zack Henry

Ospreys Worcester Cardiff Blues Ospreys Zebre Benetton Leicester Tigers

TOP TRY SCORERS Sam Parry Albert Tuisue Antoine Bouzerand James Stokes Phil Cokanasiga Sam Stuart

Ospreys London Irish Castres London Irish London Irish Newcastle Falcons

30 17 16 15 15 14 13 3 2 2 2 2 2

40

L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

– MATCHFILE – LEICESTER TIGERS 39-17 BRIVE Friday December 11 2020 / European Challenge Cup Round 1 Attendance: Closed doors / Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Georgia) LEICESTER TIGERS 15 Freddie Steward 14 Kini Murimurivalu 13 Matias Moroni 12 Matt Scott 11 Nemani Nadolo 10 Joaquin Diaz Bonilla 9 Ben White

T 3P

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Nephi Leatigaga Tom Youngs (c) Joe Heyes Harry Wells Tomas Lavanini Hanro Liebenberg Jordan Taufua Jasper Wiese

Tries from Tom and Ben Youngs in each half set the platform as Tigers pulled away in the last 10 minutes to record a bonus-point win over visitors Brive.

Respective fly-halves Joaquin Diaz Bonilla and Enzo Herve traded early penalties before captain Youngs burst out of a maul to score on the right as Tigers led 14-6 at half-time.

The pattern continued after half-time, with replacement George Ford kicking penalties to punish Brive indiscipline, before replacement scrumhalf Ben Youngs finished a sparkling attack on the right from Hanro Liebenberg and Matias Moroni with quarter of an hour remaining.

Brive replied with a try on 70 minutes from former Leicester academy wing Wesley Douglas, but Tigers ensured the victory with late scores from Cyle Brink and Nemani Nadolo.

First, pressure from penalties on the left had Brive pinned back on their own tryline and, after Ellis Genge had carried close, Brink forced his way over for his first Tigers try.

Then, with the clock into the final minute, Nadolo followed a break from Ben Youngs to dive

T

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Charlie Clare Ellis Genge Luan de Bruin Calum Green Cyle Brink Ben Youngs George Ford Guy Porter

in on the left and provide the bonus-point score, which Ford converted with an immaculate touchline kick.

NOTEBOOK… First meeting of the teams since the 1997 European Cup Final… Brive’s first-ever visit to Leicester… The club’s first European fixture behind closed doors… Debuts for Matias Moroni and Luan de Bruin…

First appearance of the season

T T 2P/2C

BRIVE: Jurand, Douglas, Galletier, Galala, Buliruarua, Herve, Delarue; Thompson-Stringer, Alkhazashvili, Brennan, Malafosse, South, Abadie, Voisin (c), Fa’aso’o. Reps: Jouannet, Tapueluelu, Japaridze, Cerqueira, Tskhadadze, Delord, Olding, Grandidier Nkanang

for six internationals including Tomás Lavanini back from injury… Nika Amashukeli was also referee when Tigers got 2019-20 off to a bonus-point start against Pau. QUOTE...

“The starting guys did a really good job in wearing them down and the guys off the bench made a great impact to finish it well” Jasper Wiese

41

L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

– LAST TIME OUT – BAYONNE 20-28 LEICESTER TIGERS Saturday December 19 2020 / European Challenge Cup Round 2 Attendance: Closed doors / Referee: Mr Chris Busby (Ireland) LEICESTER TIGERS 15 Kini Murimurivalu T 14 Guy Porter 13 Jaco Taute (c) 12 Dan Kelly T 11 Harry Simmons 10 Zack Henry 2C / 3P 9 Ben White

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Nephi Leatigaga Charlie Clare Joe Heyes Cameron Henderson Tomás Lavanini Ollie Chessum Tommy Reffell Jordan Taufua

Three tries and some determined defensive work, even in the face of three yellow cards, carried Tigers to victory in the first-ever European meeting with Bayonne in the south-west of France before Christmas.

A try from Tommy Reffell following a neat link-up with Zack Henry provided an early lead and centre Dan Kelly drove over the line for a second as Tigers led 17-6 after half an hour’s play.

But Bayonne fought back with some heavy pressure among their forward pack, and Tigers were down to 13 men with props Joe Heyes and Nephi Leatigaga yellow-carded as the hosts replied with a try from scrumhalf Hugo Zabalza on the stroke of half-time.

Outstanding work off the ball not only defended that lead with two men short, but also gained the penalties which allowed Henry to add to the advantage before Kini Murimurivalu latched on to a cross-kick to stretch that lead to 15 points on the hour mark.

A try from Andrie Gorin and a yellow card for Cyle Brink set up a tense closing spell with Tigers camped in their own territory

T

16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Jake Kerr James Whitcombe Dan Cole Harry Wells Cyle Brink Luke Wallace Jack Van Poortvliet Joaquin Diaz Bonilla

but preserving the lead with a determined rearguard action.

NOTEBOOK… First away win since April 2019…

First win in France since a trip to Montpellier in 2013… European debuts for Ollie Chessum, Cameron Henderson, Dan Kelly and Jack Van Poortvliet, and a senior debut for James Whitcombe… Jaco Taute's first

BAYONNE: Germain, Baget, Muscarditz (c), Hingano, Duhau, Lafage, Zabalza; Cormenier, Delonca, Mousset, Pyle, Ducat, Galarz, Heguy, Taofifenua. Reps: Ulugia, Perchaud, Nixon, Gorin, Duputs, Ruru, Lestrade, Fajardo

game as captain… First try for Kini Murimurivalu and Dan Kelly…

Three yellow cards.

QUOTE...

“I have sat in the stands and watched European games, won and lost, so to win away like that in the Tigers shirt was very emotional.”

Ollie Chessum

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C

M

Y

M

Y

Y

Y

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45

L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

Andrea Pinchen

FROM THE BOARDROOM Tigers chief executive officer Andrea Pinchen welcomes in 2021 in her first programme notes of the New Year.

First, I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and Happy New year, wherever and however you may have been celebrating.

And second, welcome to the first game of a brand new year at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.

Usually a time of the season packed with festive matches, Christmas traditions and one of the best sporting atmospheres I’ve ever witnessed, it was incredibly sad to not be able to spend the festive period with the #TigersFamily at the stadium, and you were sorely missed at the away game in Bayonne.

I think we are spoilt with our supporters, who travel in such numbers when they can, and it was really unusual not to see the many versions of Tigers shirts in France.

It has been an extremely challenging year for all of us, and the challenges continued within the club with the impromptu cancellation of our away Gallagher Premiership fixture against Newcastle Falcons following some positive Covid-19 tests among the squad that beat Bayonne in the Challenge Cup. Player, coach and staff welfare remains the priority in these times and I’d like to thank everyone at the club who acted responsibly in its handling.

The club has contingency plans and protocols in place

for such events, from selfisolation support to home training schedules, ensuring the protection and well-being of all associated with the Tigers.

The amazing work carried out by the staff behind the scenes, and the adaptability and dedication of the players to continue their training whenever and wherever possible makes me extremely proud.

Away from the pitch, unfortunately we are still unable to welcome supporters into the stadium at this present time and, following the government announcement regarding the tier systems across the country, it looks like we have a few more months of frustration ahead of us.

That being said, with the good news around the vaccine, 2021 will definitely be the year

Well-earned win in Bayonne

Unfortunately, the news of the outbreak and the second temporary closure of the training facility overshadowed a fantastic display on the road for the Tigers squad in Bayonne, including some young players who, as Steve said, had ‘earned their place’ for the fixture.

We continue to make positive steps forward and, as we welcome old rivals Bath today, the team are keen to continue that momentum.

that we can open the doors to the Mattioli Woods Welford Road Stadium and finally welcome you back.

Last, but by no means least: I know we’ve said it before, but we can’t thank you enough for your support, from those who have been able to donate their season ticket money or buy the great kit from the club shop to those that shout encouragement at their TV. Happy New Year, here’s to seeing you all soon.

46

L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

CLUB PARTNERS

Welcome and thank you to all of our partners for the 2020-21 season...

MAIN PARTNER

L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

OFFICIAL PAR TNERS

A S S O C I AT E P A R T N E R S

OFFICIAL SUPPLIERS

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47

48

L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

THE

TIGERS TEAM T H E M A N AG E M E N T T E A M

STEVE BORTHWICK Position: Head Coach

ALED WALTERS Position: Head of Physical Performance

BRETT DEACON Position: Assistant Coach

JAN McGINITY Position: Head of Elite Performance Recruitment

SIMON BARBOUR Position: Head of Analysis

TERESA CARRINGTON Position: Team Manager

MIKE FORD Position: Assistant Coach

49

L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

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

SAM ASPLAND-ROBINSON

JOAQUIN DIAZ BONILLA

RYAN BOWER

Position: Wing

Position: Fly-half

Position: Prop

Position:

Born: 03/01/97

Born: 02/04/89

Born: 25/02/91

Born: 16/01/94

Height:

1.83m/6ft 0in

Height: 1.78m/5ft10in

Height:

1.86m /6ft 1in

Height:

1.91m/6ft 3in

Weight:

94kg/14st 8lb

Weight:

Weight:

108kg/17st 2lb

Weight:

114kg/18st 5lb

80kg/12st 8lb

CYLE BRINK Back row

Honours: Argentina ACADEMY GRADUATE S P O N S O R E D BY:

S P O N S O R E D BY:

S P O N S O R E D BY:

S P O N S O R E D BY:

CHARLIE CLARE

JORDAN COGHLAN

DAN COLE

LUAN DE BRUIN

Position: Hooker

Position:

Back row

Position: Prop

Position: Prop

Born: 16/12/91

Born: 30/10/92

Born: 09/05/87

Born:

Height:

1.83m/6ft 0in

Height:

1.95m/6ft 4in

Height:

1.91m/6ft 3in

Height:

1.83m/6ft 0in

Weight:

110 kg/17st 4lb

Weight:

113kg/17st 11lb

Weight:

123kg/19st 5lb

Weight:

125kg/19st 11lb

13/12/93

Honours: England/Lions ACADEMY GRADUATE S P O N S O R E D BY:

ACADEMY GRADUATE S P O N S O R E D BY:

S P O N S O R E D BY:

S P O N S O R E D BY:

50

L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

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

BLAKE ENEVER

GEORGE FORD

ELLIS GENGE

FACUNDO GIGENA

Position: Lock

Position: Fly-half

Position: Prop

Position: Prop

Born: 12/10/91

Born: 16/03/93

Born: 16/02/95

Born: 15/09/94

Height:

2.01m/6ft 7in

Height:

1.78m/5ft 10in

Height:

1.86m/6ft 1in

Height:

1.83m/6ft 0in

Weight:

114kg/17st 1lb

Weight:

86kg/13st 7lb

Weight:

117kg/18st 6lb

Weight:

111kg/17st 6lb

Honours: Australia

Honours: England

Honours: England

Honours: Argentina

ACADEMY GRADUATE S P O N S O R E D BY:

S P O N S O R E D BY:

CALUM GREEN

TOM HARDWICK

ZACK HENRY

JOE HEYES

Position: Lock

Position: Fly-half/Centre

Position: Fly-half

Position: Prop

Born: 15/07/90

Born: 24/03/99

Born: 01/10/94

Born: 13/04/99

Height:

1.93m/6ft 4in

Height:

1.75m/5ft 9in

Height:

1.83m/6ft 0in

Height:

1.93m/6ft 4in

Weight:

119kg/18st 12lb

Weight:

94kg/14st 13lb

Weight:

89kg/14st 0lb

Weight:

126kg/19st 12lb

ACADEMY GRADUATE S P O N S O R E D BY:

ACADEMY GRADUATE

ACADEMY GRADUATE

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L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

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

JAKE KERR

TOMAS LAVANINI

NEPHI LEATIGAGA

SAM LEWIS

Position: Hooker

Position: Lock

Position: Prop

Position: Lock/Flanker

Born: 13/04/96

Born: 22/01/93

Born: 09/12/93

Born: 27/04/98

Height:

1.85m/6ft 1in

Height:

2.01m/6ft 7in

Height:

1.93m/6ft 4in

Height:

1.95m/6ft 5in

Weight:

105kg/16st 7lb

Weight:

130kg/20st 7lb

Weight:

149kg/23st 6lb

Weight:

110kg/17st 4lb

Honours: Scotland

Honours: Argentina

Honours: Samoa ACADEMY GRADUATE S P O N S O R E D BY:

HANRO LIEBENBERG Position:

SHALVA MAMUKASHVILI

JOHNNY McPHILLIPS

MATIAS MORONI

Back row

Position: Hooker

Position: Fly-half/Centre/Full-back

Position: Centre/Wing

Born: 10/10/95

Born: 02/10/90

Born: 13/03/97

Born: 10/07/91

Height:

1.97m/6ft 5 in

Height:

1.80m/5ft 11in

Height:

1.80m/5ft 11in

Height:

1.83m/6ft 0in

Weight:

110kg/17st 4lb

Weight:

101kg/16st 9lb

Weight:

89kg/14st 0lb

Weight:

83kg/13st 5lb

Honours: Georgia

Honours: Argentina

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L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

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

KINI MURIMURIVALU

NEMANI NADOLO

JORDAN OLOWOFELA

GUY PORTER

Position: Full-back/Wing

Position: Wing/centre

Position: Wing/full-back

Position: Centre/Wing

Born: 15/05/89

Born: 31/01/88

Born: 17/04/98

Born: 23/01/97

Height:

1.75m/5ft 9in

Height:

1.96m/6ft 5in

Height:

1.88m / 6ft 2in

Height:

1.85m/6ft 1lb

Weight:

83kg/13st 5lb

Weight:

120kg/19st 5lb

Weight:

92kg / 14st 7lb

Weight:

95kg/15st 1lb

Honours: Fiji

Honours: Fiji ACADEMY GRADUATE S P O N S O R E D BY:

S P O N S O R E D BY:

HARRY POTTER

TOMMY REFFELL

MATT SCOTT

HARRY SIMMONS

Position: Wing

Position: Flanker

Position: Centre

Position: Scrum-half

Born: 15/12/97

Born: 27/04/99

Born: 30/09/90

Born: 25/11/97

Height:

1.85m/6ft 1in

Height:

1.84m / 6ft 0in

Height:

1.85m/6ft 1in

Height:

1.81m/5ft 11in

Weight:

89kg/14st 13lb

Weight:

103kg / 16st 3lb

Weight:

101kg/15st 12lb

Weight:

90kg/14st 2lb

Honours: Scotland ACADEMY GRADUATE

ACADEMY GRADUATE S P O N S O R E D BY:

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L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

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

JORDAN TAUFUA Position:

JACO TAUTE

KOBUS VAN WYK

LUKE WALLACE

Back row

Position: Centre/Full-back

Position: Wing

Position: Flanker

Born: 29/01/92

Born: 21/03/91

Born: 22/01/92

Born: 02/10/90

Height:

1.87m/6ft 1in

Height:

1.91m/6ft 3 in

Height:

1.91m/6ft 3in

Height:

1.83m/6ft 0in

Weight:

108kg/17st 0lb

Weight:

108kg/17st 0lb

Weight:

98kg/15st 6lb

Weight:

100kg/15st 11lb

Honours:

South Africa

S P O N S O R E D BY:

S P O N S O R E D BY:

HARRY WELLS

BEN WHITE

JASPER WIESE

RICHARD WIGGLESWORTH

Position: Lock

Position: Scrum-half

Position:

Back row

Position: Scrum-half

Born: 29/09/93

Born: 27/05/98

Born: 21/10/95

Born: 09/06/83

Height:

1.96m/6ft 5in

Height:

1.81m/5ft 11in

Height:

1.91m/6ft 3ins

Height:

1.75m/5ft 9in

Weight:

110kg/17st 5lb

Weight:

87kg/13st 11lb

Weight:

116kg/18st 5lb

Weight:

83kg/13st 1lb

Honours: England ACADEMY GRADUATE

ACADEMY GRADUATE S P O N S O R E D BY:

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L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

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

GEORGE WORTH

BEN YOUNGS

TOM YOUNGS

Position: Centre/Full-back

Position: Scrum-half

Position: Hooker

Born: 08/10/96

Born: 05/09/89

Born: 28/01/87

Height:

1.86m/6ft 1in

Height:

1.79m/5ft 10in

Height:

1.75m/5ft 9in

Weight:

95kg/14st 13lb

Weight:

88kg/13st 12lb

Weight:

104kg/16st 5lb

ACADEMY GRADUATE

Honours: England/Lions

Honours: England/Lions

ACADEMY GRADUATE

ACADEMY GRADUATE

S P O N S O R E D BY:

S P O N S O R E D BY:

To sponsor a player or to receive more information on sponsoring a player please email Sales@tigers.co.uk

L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

55

D E V E L O P M E N T S Q U A D

OLLIE ASHWORTH Position: Back row Born: 21/05/01 ACADEMY GRADUATE

JOE BROWNING Position: Wing/Centre Born: 14/04/01 ACADEMY GRADUATE

OLLIE CHESSUM Position: Back row Born: 06/09/00

OSMAN DIMEN Position: Prop Born: 30/09/98

SAM EDWARDS Position: Scrum-half Born: 14/06/02 ACADEMY GRADUATE

CAMERON HENDERSON Position: Lock Born: 13/01/00

EMEKA ILIONE Position: Back row Born: 20/03/02 ACADEMY GRADUATE

DAN KELLY Position: Centre Born: 16/01/01

HENRI LAVIN Position: Back row Born: 05/07/00 ACADEMY GRADUATE

JONNY LAW Position: Scrum-half Born: 19/12/00 ACADEMY GRADUATE

TOM MANZ Position: Lock Born: 09/07/01 ACADEMY GRADUATE

GEORGE MARTIN Position: Lock Born: 18/06/01 ACADEMY GRADUATE

JACK ROWNTREE Position: Prop Born: 06/05/02 ACADEMY GRADUATE

KIT SMITH Position: Back row Born: 29/09/01 ACADEMY GRADUATE

THOM SMITH Position: Back row Born: 02/12/1999 ACADEMY GRADUATE

FREDDIE STEWARD Position: Full-back Born: 05/12/00 ACADEMY GRADUATE

JACK VAN POORTVLIET Position: Scrum-half Born: 15/05/01 ACADEMY GRADUATE

ARCHIE VANES Position: Hooker Born: 16/09/01 ACADEMY GRADUATE

JAMES WHITCOMBE Position: Prop Born: 20/11/00 ACADEMY GRADUATE

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L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

LEICESTER TIGERS

COMMUNITY TEAM

As we reach the turn of a new year and the start of a new school term, the Leicester Tigers community team has a range of programmes available for schools to tap into and share the club’s staffing, resource and expertise in supporting education and encouraging healthy lifestyles with positive activity and exercise.

All programmes are coordinated and delivered by the full-time professional Community team at Tigers and operate within NGB and Public Health guidelines for Covidsafe delivery.

Our aim is to add resources to help schools as they face immense challenges under these unique circumstances.

Tigers are open, operational and looking for more schools, primary and secondary, to work with throughout 2021.

If you want to know more, please see the details of some of our programmes on offer below, or you can email community@tigers.co.uk or visit the Community section of the Tigers website.

A number of schools are already on board for 2021, and we are still looking for more and there are places available throughout the rest of this academic year for those who want to join in the fun.

Tigers education and engagement manager, David McDonald, said: “The NBS Tag Rugby programme is a fantastic, fun way to introduce pupils

to the non-contact version of rugby. It allows pupils to develop great crossover multisport skills, confidence and an opportunity to burn off that excess energy in a safe, professionally delivered environment.”

Any Primary school interested in finding out more or securing a place can contact david.mcdonald@tigers.co.uk or phone 0797 213 0106.

NOTTINGHAM BUILDING SOCIETY (NBS) TAG RUGBY

Now in its sixth year and supported by club partner Nottingham Building Society, the NBS Tag Rugby programme targets Years 3 and 4 in primary education, bringing high quality, high intensity, fun tag rugby sessions to schools along with an additional educational element which looks to support numeracy and classroom learning.

Bardon Primary head teacher Diane Parry, whose school was involved last year, said: “The children really enjoyed the sessions in school and the festival. There was excellent progression in skills and confidence.”

So far this academic year, the NBS programme has been well received by all participants and schools. Despite the obvious challenges of Covid, the Tigers coaches have been able to work with each school to give the young students something fun, exciting and challenging to look forward to each week.

L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

57

SUPPORTING TIGERS’ COMMUNITY PROGRAMME

GREGGS TACKLING HEALTH

Delivered nationally by the Premiership Rugby clubs, the Greggs Foundation offers primary schools the opportunity to take part in the Greggs Tackling Health programme.

This is an interactive project for children aged 7-8, teaching them about their own health, wellbeing and leading a healthy lifestyle with a rugby focus.

Greggs Tackling Health has been developed alongside Premiership Rugby’s new App, ‘Premiership Rugby Champions’.

This curriculum-based app has been developed with learning technology company Aspire 2Be to inspire children to get moving while developing important life skills, featuring interactive resources including tackling health, numeracy and character, with digital literacy development at the heart of the content.

After the impact of Covid, Tigers are more committed than ever to supporting essential workers and are dedicated to tackling issues such as obesity and unhealthy lifestyles, educating pupils to make healthier choices.

Parks Primary, Fosse Primary and Beaumont Lodge Primary will be joining us in the new term and places are still available for more schools to participate. Email laurence.walters@tigers.co.uk or call 07534 922582.

MULTI-SPORT

Tiger Sports, the club’s multi-sport initiative, is running again at schools in the city and county, and eager to welcome new groups.

This initiative is open to all age groups - from Reception/Key Stage One to College years - and aims to engage through PE sessions, educational workshops and some classroom-based learning, plus a chance to see behind the scenes at Tigers as part of bespoke Inside Sport days.

Charlie Hurley heads up the Tigers programme and said: “Tiger Sports gives schools access to our experience, facilities and equipment, as well as the opportunity to try a variety of sports and activities.

“Some children haven’t had access to the same opportunities for getting out and being active, so it is exciting to be able to offer our services to enable them to do just that.”

Tiger Sports offers breakfast, lunch and afterschool clubs; PE and PPA cover; Takeover Days; Inside Sport Days and bespoke packages tailored to each group.

To find out more, email charles.hurley@tigers. co.uk or call Charlie 07920 011766.

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L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

LEICESTER TIGERS

FOUNDATION NEWS

A HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM EVERYONE AT THE TIGERS FOUNDATION

It has been a very challenging and disruptive year for all, but the Leicester Tigers Foundation is delighted to announce that we have used this period of down-time to revamp and refresh The Dynamite Alternative provision for under-16s to be in a position to open our doors in the new year.

With new policies and procedures in place and a revamped Tigers Education Centre within the stadium, The Foundation is now completing its annual audit ahead of opening our programmes again from January 18, with LEBC accepting referrals from Wednesday of next week (January 13).

The Foundation will be taking referrals five days a week, with sessions running 9.30am-2.30pm from our Education Centre based at Mattioli Woods Welford Road.

We will still be offering all the best parts of our provision, meaning students will be able to take part in daily practical sessions while working towards their Level 1 BTEC in Sport & Active Leisure.

Additional qualifications may also be available once a BTEC is completed.

Our daily rate will remain the same as last year, in acknowledgement that all of education has been facing challenging times, with a full day rated at £70 and half-day £40.

Everyone at the Foundation is hoping to hit the ground running now that we’ve moved into the new year so please do get in touch if you have any appropriate students in mind.

The team will be back at work and back on site from tomorrow morning (January 4) and will be happy to host any site visits in preparation for the opening date.

Referrals can come directly through Sam Swift or, alternatively, through any partnership school or referral agency.

For more information or queries regarding the Dynamite Alternative, email sam.swift@ tigers.co.uk.

For any general queries regarding the work of the Tigers Foundation or how you can help to play your part in making a difference in our community, please email info@tigersfoundation.org now.

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Matchday mascot

Supported by

Supported by retailers NEXT, the Junior Tigers Club is THE place for young fans to celebrate their support of Leicester Tigers.

Junior Membership is available now.

Sign up at www.leicestertigers.com/jtc

A big Junior Tigers welcome to Elsie Farnham, who is today’s virtual matchday mascot. Fiveyear-old Elsie is a big Tigers fan and, like everyone, looking forward to cheering on the team from home this weekend. Do you want the young fan in your family to be in with the chance of being named as our next virtual mascot? Buy a Junior Tigers Club membership for £35 and you will be entered into the draw for each home fixture. Membership benefits also include a bobble hat and goodie bag!

5 to Tackle 1. Who did Tigers play in the team’s last action of 2020?

2. Which three Tigers played for England in the Autumn Nations Cup? 3. What colour kit do Bath Rugby wear at home?

4. Which Tigers forward has already scored two tries this season - both at home?

5. For which country did Kini Murimurivalu and Nemani Nadolo play in the Autumn Nations Cup?

Did you know?

Tigers prop Joe Heyes was a goalkeeper in the Nottingham Forest academy as a teenager. His dad also played as a goalkeeper at Forest while his grandfather was with Swansea and Leicester City.

Who is it?

Who is this young Tiger going through his work ahead of kick-off?

Answers: Who is it: Freddie Steward; Five To Tackle: 1 Bayonne, 2 George Ford, Ellis Genge & Ben Youngs, 3 Blue, white and black, 4 Tom Youngs, 5 Fiji.

Proud sponsors of the Junior Tigers Club

Sign-up to be part of the Junior Tigers Club for free by visiting www.leicestertigers.com/jtc

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L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

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Matt Hampson

FOUNDATION A special update from one of the club’s official charities...

Matt Hampson has been recognised with an OBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours List, awarded for his services to charity as the Matt Hampson Foundation celebrates its 10th anniversary year in 2021.

A Tigers academy graduate, Matt suffered a life-changing injury aged just 20 when a scrum collapsed during a training session with his England age-group squad. He has been paralysed from the neck down ever since and relies on a mechanical ventilator to breathe.

Rather than lament what he’d lost, however, Matt decided to focus on what he could still do and he established the Matt Hampson Foundation in 2011, which works to support and rehabilitate other young people seriously injured through sport.

Following extensive fundraising and campaigning, the Foundation opened its state-ofthe-art Get Busy Living rehabilitation centre in rural Leicestershire during 2018.

Tommy Cawston, CEO of the Foundation and close friend of Matt’s, said: “Matt has dedicated his life to helping others in a similar situation to him and this recognition is well-deserved.

“What he has achieved since his injury is remarkable and here at the Foundation we are all really proud of him.”

Matt commented: “This was a complete shock and I’m blown away to be recognised in this way.

“After my injury I just decided to get busy living and focus on the positives in life. I’m really proud of what we’ve achieved with the Foundation over the past 10 years and the amount of people we have helped to rebuild their lives following serious injury.

“In 2021 we celebrate our 10th anniversary and I’m really excited about what we have planned for the future.”

The Get Busy Living Centre has a state-of-theart gym, specialist disability personal trainer and highly experienced physiotherapists to provide beneficiaries with physical rehabilitation, while Matt and other seasoned beneficiaries provide the kind of advice that can only really be given by those who have lived through a life-changing injury.

This focus on enhancing the mental well-being of individuals as well as their close family is what makes the centre such a unique place.

For more information please visit www.matthampsonfoundation.org

On behalf of the #TigersFamily we congratulate Matt on his New Year’s honour!

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L E I C E S T E R T I G E R S v B AT H R U G BY

Tigers History

JAN

ON THIS DAY 1891

The scheduled game against Coventry was the fifth in a row to be cancelled due to frost, with another two to follow before the team finally got back in action at the end of the month.

1895

Bective Rangers, who had become the club’s first-ever Irish opponents just a year earlier, were beaten 4-0 on their return to Welford Road.

1903

A crowd of more than 10,000 witnessed a 9-3 defeat away to Devonport Albion. The team would head home via London Welsh, where they were beaten 15-5 two days later.

1914

Tigers lost 3-0 at Gloucester.

1920

Tim Taylor scored two tries in a 14-9 win over Gloucester just two days after supplying one of the scores in a 30-8 victory at Manchester.

1925

Manchester were beaten 13-5 at Welford Road.

1928

Tigers won 20-0 at Hartlepool Rovers - 24 hours after having the scheduled trip to Manchester called off due to frost.

3

1931

1987

Another trip to Wales and another defeat as Tigers were beaten 17-0 by Swansea in front of a crowd of 6,000.

Back-rower Simon Povoas collected two of the four tries in a 22-19 win over Headingley.

Colin Dexter and Nick Youngs added the other scores.

1948

Peter Jerwood kicked the team’s only points in a 7-3 defeat at Headingley, the team’s 13th loss in the opening half of the season.

1953

Peter Konig and Gwynne Lawrence were the tryscorers in an 8-5 win at Bath.

1998

The Tetley’s Bitter Cup trip to Coventry was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

When it was re-arranged for a week later, Dorian West and Leon Lloyd each scored twice and Joel Stransky landed nine kicks at goal in a 50-14 triumph.

1959

The trip to Bath was postponed due to a frozen pitch.

1970

Chris Baynes and Graham Willars scored tries in a 9-13 loss at Bath on the day wing John Duggan made his Tigers debut. In stark contrast to 2020-21, this was the Tigers’ 24th game of the season.

Duggan went on to score 159 tries in 302 appearances for the club and also served in the backroom team in a lengthy career.

1981

Nick Jackson and Dosser Smith were on the scoresheet in a 13-11 victory over Bath at Welford Road.

2004

Young centre Ollie Smith and Rugby League convert Neil Baxter were on the mark with tries, but Tigers lost 18-28 at home to Gloucester and remained in ninth place in the Premiership table on the day that the England contingent paraded the World Cup for the home crowd.

Tigers v Bath_Layout 1 18/12/2020 14:51 Page 1

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Â

When young prop James Whitcombe ran out for his Tigers debut in the closing stages of the win in Bayonne before Christmas it was a memorable moment for the 20-yearold and his family.

By joining the Tigers pack at the Stade Jean Dauger just a month after his 20th birthday, James joined his dad Martin as the 25th father-and-son pair to play senior rugby for the club.

Yorkshire-born James was part of the Tigers academy squad that celebrated back-to-back Under-18 League title wins in 2017-18 and 2018-19, while also gaining England Under-18s honours, before moving up to the Development ranks.

James also gained some experience with Leicester Lions and as part of a player exchange with Sydney University FC in Australia, before playing for Tigers in the friendly fixture at Saracens a week before his first-team debut.

Martin Whitcombe made 68 senior appearances for Tigers as a prop in the 1980s.

There is a rich rugby heritage in the family beyond too, with grandfather Frank Whitcombe playing for Yorkshire as a teenager as well as with Bradford and Northern Counties, while Frank Senior was among the great Rugby League forwards in a career which spanned World War Two. The Tigers History Book compiled by Stuart Farmer and David Hands lists 23 father-and-son combinations, with Freddie and Fred Tuilagi the most recent additions before the Whitcombe family.

Uniquely, Tom Berry was followed into the Tigers team by three sons - David, John and Richard - while the five fathers with two sons as players include Nick Youngs (sons Tom and Ben), Bob Ellis (sons Mark and Harry), Paul Dodge (sons Alex and Ollie) and Troy Thacker, the father of Harry and Charlie.

The History Book notes that the shortest gap between the two generations is 11 years, with Alf Bates playing his final game at home to Headingley in October 1920 and his son Edward making his debut against Harlequins during March 1932.

The Vesty family is unique in producing four generations of Tigers players. Jack Dickens was father-in-law of Bernard Vesty, who was father of Phil, who is father of former fly-half/ full-back Sam.

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TIGERS TAKEAWAY

Pub Quiz

If you missed the annual pub quiz, here’s your chance to stage your own version at home.

On this final weekend of the Christmas break, if you’re tired of charades, worn out

by TV repeats and had more than your fill of turkey, why not test the knowledge at home with our Tigers Takeaway Pub Quiz?

In the build-up to Christmas, Tigers took the club’s Annual Quiz Night, supported by club partners Everards, online to allow fans to test their knowledge and compete against a team of players on a range of subjects from Sport to Geography.

A total of 18 teams joined the fun, logging on to the Zoom platform and using their own breakout rooms to discuss and submit their answers.

The players’ team was represented by Ellis Genge, Ben Youngs, Jaco Taute, Harry Wells, Ben White and Luke Wallace.

In the end it was the Yippee Try-Yay team who edged in front of The Noel-it-alls on a tie-break to take the top prize of a signed Tigers shirt. The runners-up received a signed ball and third-placed Itty’s Tigers received an Everards keg. Thanks to our friends at Burleigh’s Gin, there was also a wooden spoon prize.

Thank you to all of our teams: The Dormanators, Because You’re

Wigglesworth It , The Cox’s, Nerd Immunity, Doc Newey and the Flat Caps, Gold Frankincense and Myrrh-imurivalu, Two Camels and a Tiger, Twinkle Toes, Sleigh what?!, Quizmas Quackers, The Knock On Crew, Peppermint Keegan, This’ll end in Tiers, Marquiz Ayerza, Itty’s Tigers, The Noel-it-alls, Yippee Try-Yay and, of course, to the Players’ Team.

Now we’ve prepared a special Takeaway Tigers version of the quiz for you to try at home or via your own online platforms.

THE QUESTIONS...

ROUND 1 – GENER AL KNOWLEDGE 1 Which countr y is the origin of the cocktail Mojito?

2 What was the full name of Henry VIII’s last wife?

3 How tall is the Eiffel Tower (in metres)?

4 How many hearts does an Octopus have?

5 Which famous TV chef started cooking at the age of eight in his parents’ pub, The Cricketers, in Clavering, Essex?

6 What is the chemical symbol for silver?

7 What is Lady Gaga’s real name?

8 In what year did the Titanic sink in the Atlantic Ocean on its maiden voyage?

9 Who is Joe Biden’s Vice President of the USA? 10 In what year was the Chernobyl disaster?

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ROUND 2 – SPORT 1 When England won the 2003 Rugby World Cup, how many points did they score in the Final?

2 In which sport do teams compete to win the Stanley Cup? 3 How many balls are on the table at the start of a game of snooker?

4 At which golf club is the US Masters tournament held?

5 Ben Stokes inspired the 2019 Cricket World Cup Final victory over New Zealand, but who scored the second-highest number of runs in the match for England?

6 The Fosbur y Flop is a technique used in which event?

7 Which American city’s Major League Baseball team are named after the Cardinals?

8 Name the only football team to sack Sir Alex Ferguson as a manager 9 In American Football, how many points do you score for a touchdown?

10 Which countr y are the current Netball World Cup champions?

ROUND 3 – FILM AND TELEVISION 1 Ant and Dec first worked together on which children’s TV drama?

2 Who played Rodney Trotter in Only Fools and Horses?

3 Which singing competition was the first to feature Simon Cowell as a judge?

4 How many Pirates of the Caribbean films have been released?

5 In what year did Coronation Street first air on ITV? 6 Which 2019 film won the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Film of the year?

7 Which of Disney’s Seven Dwarves did not have a beard?

8 What is Postman Pat’s surname?

9 Which actor plays Stephen Hawking in the 2014 film ‘The Theory of Everything’?

10 In which year was the first ever Academy Awards ceremony?

ROUND 4 – GEOGR APHY 1 What countr y has the longest coastline in the world?

2 In which English county is the town of Stevenage?

3 Mount Vesuvius casts a shadow over which modern Italian city?

4 How many US states begin with the letter A? 5 Which line on a London Underground map is coloured brown?

6 What is Scotland’s fourthlargest city by population?

7 Which South American countr y has a name which translates to English as ‘The Saviour’?

8 If you completed the Three Peaks Challenge, which UK mountains would you have climbed?

9 What is the largest countr y in Africa by area?

10 How many states are there in Australia?

ROUND 5 – LEICESTER TIGERS 1 In which year was the original Members Stand replaced by the new main stand on the north side of the stadium?

2 Which player took the winning kick in the European Cup shoot-out against Cardiff Blues in 2009?

3 What was the score in Leicester Tigers’ biggest-ever Premiership win?

4 At which ground was the club’s first game played, against Moseley in October 1880?

5 Which Tigers player has scored the most drop goals for the club in the Premiership?

6 Which season did 'Smoke On the Water' become the team’s run-out song?

7 Who made three appearances for Tigers in 1991-92 and also played against the British and Irish Lions for New South Wales ‘B’ in 1989?

8 Who was the most recent player to reach 100 tries for Tigers?

9 Leicester’s green, white and red colours are well known, but what colour did they wear in their first season?

10 Who scored the club’s first try in the Gallagher Premiership this season?

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FanZone HOW IT STARTED...

LEICESTER TIGERs

VERSUS

BATH RUGBY

G A L L AG H E R P R E M I E R S H I P S U N DAY, JA N UA RY 3, 2021 K I C K- O F F 3.00 P M

PROGRAMME CREDITS

HOW IT'S GOING...

Why should social media have all the fun? Ben Youngs scored a timely try in the last home game, a win over Bayonne in the European Challenge Cup on his return from international duty, and the tournament photographer was spot-on in freezing the action.

No corner flag - or Tigers scrum-half for that matter - was harmed in making this five-point win.

Editorial: Gary Sherrard, Phil Warrington & Sam Williamson Photography: Dave Wainwright, Malcolm Couzens, Geoff Sellars & James Baylis for Tiger Images and the team at Getty Images Design and Production: Ignition Sports Media

BIRTHDAY WISHES

Happy birthday to our season ticket holders celebrating today. We’re sorry that you’re unable to share it with us, but we look forward to seeing you again soon • Trevor Billam • Paul Blackman • Eric Bradley • Callum Brogan • Pete Cayn • Craig Danvers

• Oliver Gilbert • Geraldine Hine • Margaret Holt • Jackie Kenney • Sean Kirkby • John Langley

• Karen Leitch • Maisie Miles • Iain Pring • Neil Purves • Mike Richards • Diane Setchell

• Richard Taylor • Christine Tordoff • Anthony Wilkinson • Adam Wilson

TA KE A WALK

IN THE S E B O OTS

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At Gallagher we love your industry, know your customers and are part of your community.

From grassroots to elite, we are with you for the long haul. Every step of the way.

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