Current squad
The Leicester Tigers squad for the 2023–24 season is: [9]
Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.
| Founded | 15 July 2021 |
|---|---|
| Location | Leicester, England |
| Ground(s) | Mattioli Woods Welford Road (Capacity: 25,849) |
| Coach(es) | Tom Hudson |
| League(s) | Premiership Women's Rugby |
| First match | |
| Bishop Auckland Ladies 5–57 Leicester Tigers Women 18 September 2022 | |
| Largest win | |
| Harrogate Ladies 3–114 Leicester Tigers Women 18 February 2023 | |
| Largest defeat | |
| Saracens Women 100–0 Leicester Tigers Women (StoneX Stadium, London) 11 January 2025 | |
Leicester Tigers Women is a women's rugby union club based in Leicester, Leicestershire, England. They are the women's team of Leicester Tigers. They were founded in 2021 and as of 2023, play in Premiership Women's Rugby.
The team was formed on 15 July 2021, [1] launched in partnership with Lichfield Ladies under the name of "Lichfield Leicester Tigers", [2] [3] in their initial season they played a season of friendlies before entering Women's Championship North 1 for the 2022–23 season, [4] taking the place of Lichfield. The club confirmed its intention to bid for a place in the 2023-24 Premier 15s season, [5] on 16 December 2022 the RFU announced that they had been successful and would join the Premier 15, which became Premiership Women's Rugby, beginning in 2023–24. [6]
On 5 November 2022 the local derby with Loughborough RFC saw a record crowd for a 2nd division game as 3,523 attended. [7]
The team's first ever top flight victory came against Sale Sharks Women on 21 January 2024. [8]
The Leicester Tigers squad for the 2023–24 season is: [9]
Note: Flags indicate national union under World Rugby eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-World Rugby nationality.
| League | Cup | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Competition | Final position | Points | Play-offs | Competition | Performance |
| 2022—23 | Women's Championship North 1 | 1st [10] | 90 | Finalist [11] | No competition | N/A |
| 2023—24 | Allianz Premiership Women's Rugby | Allianz Cup | 9th | |||
Gold background denotes champions
Silver background denotes runners-up
Pink background denotes relegated
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Head of Women's Rugby | Tom Hudson |
| Assistant Coach | Luke Stratford |
| Strength and Conditioning Lead | Mitchell Cook |
| Lead Analyst | Kingsley Morgans |
Leicester Tigers are a professional rugby union club based in Leicester, England. They play in Premiership Rugby, England's top division of rugby.
Premiership Rugby, officially known as Gallagher Premiership Rugby, or the Gallagher Premiership for sponsorship reasons, is an English professional rugby union competition, consisting of 10 clubs, and is the top division of the English rugby union system.
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Rugby union in England is one of the leading professional and recreational team sports. In 1871 the Rugby Football Union, the governing body for rugby union in England, was formed by 21 rugby clubs, and the first international match, which involved England, was played in Scotland. The England national team compete annually in the Six Nations Championship, and are former world champions after winning the 2003 Rugby World Cup. The top domestic men's club competition is Premiership Rugby, and English clubs also compete in international competitions such as the European Rugby Champions Cup. The top domestic women's competition is the Premier 15s.
Richard Eric Peter Wigglesworth is an English rugby union coach and former professional player. He is the record appearance maker for Premiership Rugby, he played for Sale Sharks, Saracens and Leicester Tigers. He has won Seven Premiership titles, one with Sale, five with Saracens, and one with Leicester as well as three European Rugby Champions Cups with Saracens. Between 2008 and 2018 he won 33 caps for England. In his career he has played over 400 club games.
The Women's Premiership, also called the RFUW Premiership was the top level of women's rugby union in England until 2017. It was formed in 1990 and was run by the Rugby Football Union for Women. It was superseded in the 2017/18 season by Premier 15s.
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Premiership Women's Rugby, officially known as Allianz Premiership Women's Rugby or The Allianz PWR, is an annual semi-professional women's rugby union club competition at the highest level of the English rugby union system, and is run by the Rugby Football Union (RFU). It is contested by nine clubs who play two series of round-robin matches to determine the four participants of a single-elimination tournament. It began play in the 2017–18 season, superseding the former Women's Premiership, and introducing elements of professionalism in the sport's highest level. In its first six seasons, the competition was known as the Premier 15s. Gloucester-Hartpury are the current champions, while Saracens have won the most championships (3).
Loughborough Lightning are a women's rugby union club based in Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. They are the Professional women's team of Loughborough Students RUFC and Loughborough University. Together with the netball team and the women's cricket team, the rugby union team is one of three women's sports teams based Loughborough University that use the Loughborough Lightning name. In 2017, they were selected as a franchise for the inaugural Premier 15s season.
Leanne Nicole Infante is an English former rugby union player. She made her debut for England in 2013 and was a finalist in the 2017 Women's Rugby World Cup. At club level, she ended her career playing for Saracens.
Sale Sharks Women are a women's rugby union club based in Sale, Greater Manchester, England. They were founded in 2020 as the women's team of Premiership Rugby side Sale Sharks. They currently compete in Premiership Women's Rugby, the highest division of women's rugby union in England.
Exeter Chiefs Women are a professional women's rugby union team based in Exeter, Devon, England. They were founded in 2019 to take part in the Premier 15s, the top level of English women's rugby. They are based at Sandy Park and are affiliated to Premiership Rugby's Exeter Chiefs. The side is coached by Head Coach, Susie Appleby. Poppy Leitch captains the side.
Dan Lancaster is an English professional rugby union player for Racing 92 in the Top 14. He previously played for Leicester Tigers in Premiership Rugby, the top division of rugby union in England, as well as Ealing Trailfinders, Leeds Tykes and Nottingham in the RFU Championship. His primary position is fly half, he also plays centre.
Phil Cokanasiga is a professional rugby union player who plays as a centre for United Rugby Championship club Ospreys. He previously played for London Irish and Leicester Tigers.
The 2023–24 Premiership Women's Rugby is the seventh season of Premiership Women's Rugby, the top-flight domestic women's rugby union club competition in England. Sponsored by Allianz for the fourth consecutive season, it is the first season under the rebranded banner of Premiership Women's Rugby, succeeding six seasons under Premier 15s branding.
Trailfinders Women are a professional women's rugby union club based in Ealing, Greater London. They currently compete in Premiership Women's Rugby, the highest division of women's rugby union in England.
