Roaring Champions (Leicester Tigers R.F.C.)

Member Name: cooldudemike

Product:	Leicester Tigers R.F.C.
Date:	24/12/00 (81 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Many internationals, quality team and ground

Disadvantages: Internationals miss some premiership games

Leicester Tigers have been the dominant club in English rugby for most of the past decade. Through the transformation of the game to a professional status from the amateur game Leicester Tigers have been worthy winners of many trophies. Bath have always been the main challengers to the Tiger's crown but when the game turned professional Leicester got to grips with the changing ways of the game quickly and pulled away from the chasing clubs, in particular Bath. Leicester has always been a supporters and community orientated club and when the game went professional, unlike other clubs they did not rush off and buy the biggest stars, most of whom were ageing and came here looking to retire with a nice wage packet, instead they sat down with the team and supporters and discussed the direction they wanted to keep, in keeping with the spirit of the club. This is probably the reason as to why they are in a healthy financial position as opposed to the debt ridden other clubs. Leicester are the richest club in the English game and have the best ground and facilities to prove it. Welford road is the largest rugby ground in England outside Twickenham and can hold 20,000 supporters. Every week, no matter who the visiting team is, the ground is packed to capacity. The standard of the team and the electric atmosphere makes life very difficult for visiting teams. Leicester have not lost at home for the past three years.

The supporters are so loyal that at a recent away game they outnumbered the home supporters. The team is a mixture of promising young players; Andy Goode, Ben Kay, Dorian West, Leon Llyod and vastly experienced internationals; Neil Back, Pat Howard, Martin Johnson. In Martin Johnson they have the best second row and arguably captain in the world. He is an inspirational leader with a great knowledge of the game and leads by exapmle. Tim Stimpson is an England squad member as are Richard Cockeril, Leon Llyod, Dorian West, Martin Corry. As well as quality
foreign internationals. This makes for a quality team which is shown in Leicesters position at the moment. Dean Richards is the current manager of Tigers, having suceeded Bob Dwyer. He is totally committed to the Tigers and is very popular with everyone associated with the club. He is a quality manager. Leicester have won the champonship for the past two years in a row and are on course for the triple this year. If they keep playing the way they are this should be achieved.

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