Leicester Tigers

[BKLFox]

Statement from Tigers with regards to the ladies squad

 

Leicester Tigers are pleased to announce that they have agreed an enhanced strategy for growth, additional investment and continued commitment to Leicester Tigers Women, heralding a bright future for the club.

The plan will see a strengthening of the programme with new and enhanced roles, both on the performance and commercial sides of the business, together with a robust development plan for our playing group. 

Over the past five years, the programme has made great strides in promoting rugby to women and girls within Leicester, Leicestershire, and the surrounding areas. Partnerships with Lichfield RFC, Nottingham University and UXI continue to grow and the intention is to evolve those partnerships for the benefit of all parties and provide opportunities at all levels for both player and staff development.

On the field, the club has gone through a period of transition, with Director of Women’s Rugby Fraser Goatcher and Head Coach Ross Bundy joining in 2025, their key emphasis has been on developing players, and their young side has seen huge growth in potential.  Given the increase in funding and planned revenue growth that the programme will receive, we are all excited to see the progress that will continue to be made in partnership with PWR.

[Dr Marco]

[BKLFox]

Thank god for the Tigers.

 

Fully expect the final to be between Saints & Bath, and probably rightly on balance,  but it’s just nice to see a team fully engaged, wanting it & fighting for the fans and themselves.

Parling certainly hit the ground running

[Lionator]

15 hours ago, BKLFox said:

Thank god for the Tigers.

 

Fully expect the final to be between Saints & Bath, and probably rightly on balance,  but it’s just nice to see a team fully engaged, wanting it & fighting for the fans and themselves.

Parling certainly hit the ground running

Tigers are only one win behind those teams and have won 9 out of their last 10 league games! No reason why they can’t beat them given how much they’ve improved (Bordeaux game aside).

[Stuntman_Mike]

15 hours ago, BKLFox said:

Thank god for the Tigers.

 

Fully expect the final to be between Saints & Bath, and probably rightly on balance,  but it’s just nice to see a team fully engaged, wanting it & fighting for the fans and themselves.

Parling certainly hit the ground running

Guess we'll see where Tigers are at as they still have Saints at home and Bath away to come.

 

Be great if they can get home advantage in the play offs if they reach them.

[CL Fox]

Next week against Saracens is massive. Hope Watson is fit.

[Lionator]

4 hours ago, CL Fox said:

Next week against Saracens is massive. Hope Watson is fit.

That was such a potentially bad injury! Thankfully he was ok! 
 

really like Hamer-Webb. You have to be good to get Hassel Collins out the team. 

[CL Fox]

9 hours ago, Lionator said:

That was such a potentially bad injury! Thankfully he was ok! 
 

really like Hamer-Webb. You have to be good to get Hassel Collins out the team. 

I said to a mate a few weeks ago I think you play Radwan and Hamer Webb. Hassel Collins hasn't been quite himself this year - hes still played well, just not quite the heights of last year.

 

That tackle on Watson was awful - i dont think I've ever seen a rugby player roll around in pain like that either. Must have been bad but he was walking around with an ice pack on it at the end so hopefully not too bad. Illione and Willians aren't far off being fit.

[BKLFox]

Couple of new coaching additions to be made soon as 2 leave at the end of the season.

Sadly & surprisingly Brett Deacon moving on as he wants to experience something different & it’s rumoured he’s going to Gloucester as their forwards coach ending his long relationship with Tigers.

Peter Hewat is heading back home to Oz after moving here from Tokyo in 2024 to work with Michael Cheika as attack & backs coach.

 

[BKLFox]

Today’s defeat to Sarries is why I see Saints & Bath as the finalists.

Despite being 3rd & despite playing well you can’t say Tigers go into most games as favourites. Today early in the game Sarries could have walked away with it and losing Willis to a HIA hurt them in being able to do that.

We still have both of those 2 to play with 4 games to go, Exeter should draw level with a good win over Gloucester tomorrow, we are still in it but could really have done with a win today.

 

[Dr Marco]

too many line outs missed

too many knock outs

Edited 27 April by Dr Marco

[st albans fox]

On 25/04/2026 at 19:48, BKLFox said:

Today’s defeat to Sarries is why I see Saints & Bath as the finalists.

Despite being 3rd & despite playing well you can’t say Tigers go into most games as favourites. Today early in the game Sarries could have walked away with it and losing Willis to a HIA hurt them in being able to do that.

We still have both of those 2 to play with 4 games to go, Exeter should draw level with a good win over Gloucester tomorrow, we are still in it but could really have done with a win today.

 

 

1 hour ago, Dr Marco said:

too many line outs missed

too many knock outs

I tend to not take performances at sarries too seriously.  Just can’t judge things on that bloody pitch. 

exeter failed to push through yesterday

Hopefully we make the play offs but I couldn’t see us beating Northampton or bath. 

[BKLFox]

On 20/04/2026 at 21:38, BKLFox said:

Couple of new coaching additions to be made soon as 2 leave at the end of the season.

Sadly & surprisingly Brett Deacon moving on as he wants to experience something different & it’s rumoured he’s going to Gloucester as their forwards coach ending his long relationship with Tigers.

Peter Hewat is heading back home to Oz after moving here from Tokyo in 2024 to work with Michael Cheika as attack & backs coach.

 

Craig Childs and Rod Seib will join Geoff Parling’s coaching team, with Childs taking responsibility for defence and Seib leading the club’s attacking play.
 

Childs joins from the DHL Stormers in South Africa and brings a wealth of experience from his time in the game, including roles at Wynberg Boys’ High School and with the University of Cape Town’s Ikey Tigers.

On coming to Leicester Tigers, he said: “It feels incredible – the Tigers have such a significant history in the Premiership and in Europe, so to join them is exciting.”

“There is a real energy around what Geoff, the staff and the players have created, and I look forward to adding to that next season.”

“Before I make the move to Leicester in the summer, I am fully focused on my work with the DHL Stormers, but I wish the best of luck to the Tigers for the rest of the PREM season.”

Geoff Parling said: “After speaking to multiple players and coaches about Craig, and meeting him when we played in Cape Town, I’m sure he’ll have a positive impact at Tigers.

“He comes from a very good DHL Stormers set-up, is hungry to come across and work in the PREM and knows that everyone at Leicester must show a real appetite to defend and get the ball back. Welcome to him, Genevieve and their daughter Olivia.”

 

Seib arrives from Connacht in the URC and has previously coached an Australia XV as well as the ACT Brumbies.

On making the move to Leicester, Seib said, “I recognise the responsibility of taking on this role with Tigers. They’re a fiercely competitive club and they’re highly regarded within world rugby. I’m hugely looking forward to be able to positively impact the team.”

On his relationship with Geoff Parling, “I’ve known Geoff for a number of years. We coached against each other in Super Rugby and then at one point we were coaching together for an Australian ‘A’ team.”

“The role that Geoff discussed with me was hugely appealing and the opportunity to work with him again I thought would be a positive move for me.”

To conclude, he added, “I’m looking forward to joining Tigers in the summer, but there’s lots of rugby to be played before then. My full focus is on Connacht where we face a big end to the season, whilst Tigers do in the PREM. I wish them the best of luck for that.”

Geoff Parling said: “We’re excited to welcome Rod to Tigers; he’s an excellent coach who will add real value to what we do. I worked with him at Australia ‘A’ where I saw someone who brought detail, innovation and was excellent at improving the individual – all traits that are essential to what we are building at Tigers.

“We look forward to having him and his wife Kylie with us and seeing how he can advance our attack in the future.”

“We are an environment that drives players to get better every day, and I have no doubt that Rod and Craig will add to this.”

[BKLFox]

Leicester Tigers confirms that Izaia Perese and James O' Connor will depart the club at the end of the season.
O’Connor I expected & hope we bring in a recognised 10 as we only an injury away for Searle to be in trouble.

Bailey starting to hold down the 12 shirt and whilst his tactical awareness serves him well we can’t trust his kicking atm & it would be a big jump for young Titcombe to step into week in week out.

Perese comes out the blue a little but I guess with Bailey, Wand, Woodward, Kata on his way back & Jenkins joining before we look at academy then starts look limited so a possible move back to Oz and try for a place in the national side ahead of WC.

 

JC was better than I thought he was going to be and I love Perese’s blood and thunder approach to his game but all the best to them 

[BKLFox]

Harry Wells is the latest player to be leaving at the end of the season after 13yrs at Tigers.

So that’s Wells, Martin & Hanro leaving from the lock/backrow positions which will promote Palmer, Williams & Carnduff to more 1st team starters plus Ilione back from injury but I expect a new name might be incoming.

Currently we have 2x props 1x Hooker and 1x Centre incoming.

[BKLFox]

On 02/05/2026 at 12:10, BKLFox said:

Harry Wells is the latest player to be leaving at the end of the season after 13yrs at Tigers.

So that’s Wells, Martin & Hanro leaving from the lock/backrow positions which will promote Palmer, Williams & Carnduff to more 1st team starters plus Ilione back from injury but I expect a new name might be incoming.

Currently we have 2x props 1x Hooker and 1x Centre incoming.

Forgot about Wainwright so there’s a back row signing also.

Looking at those 5 signings maybe just a 10 to get if we are going to bring some academy lads through

[BKLFox]

What a half that was 

[st albans fox]

37 minutes ago, BKLFox said:

What a half that was 

Second half isnt bad thus far 

the arrival of pollock is fun!

[BKLFox]

15 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

Second half isnt bad thus far 

the arrival of pollock is fun!

He can’t help himself can he 😂 

 

Think the friendship with Freddie out the window during play 😜 

[BKLFox]

What a game and how well did Tigers play given the opposition, outstanding 👏 

[sm1]

Tigers laying waste to Northampton, great to see. Actually let them off the hook with the late subs and yellow cards, could've easily put 50 past them.

[st albans fox]

 Brilliant performance 

They’re so effective when given space and room 

 

we smothered them 

helped that their lineout was absolute pants and their scrum was also poor. 

 

could do with drawing them in the semis rather than bath 

[UniFox21]

Brilliant game, minus few minutes at the start and end when down to 13 we were immense and controlled everything. Brilliant atmosphere, funny what happens when a club tries to provide and encourage fans to get down early. 

 

Pollock is a bit of a twat isn't he? No doubt a very talented player, but when 30 odd points down with 15 to go, trying to wind the opposition up probably isn't the best ploy.

[BKLFox]

Watching Bristol v Sarries now and it’s a completely different game, this is a game football fans want to watch and maybe the RFU think that’s what fans want to see but where’s the rugby??

40 mins and Bristol have scored 3 tries (they dropped a 4th) and Sarries have scored 5 and most of those have been training style scores, where’s the defence, where’s the battles, the arm wrestles? 
It’s a try every 5mins and they running off for HT and no one is blowing it’s been as I say very much training ground rugby…boring despite the score.

 

 

 

Edited 9 May by BKLFox

[katieakita]

Nice to see a  team from the City show pride in the shirt they wear.