The Academy - Episode 5 - Behind the scenes with the Leicester Tigers academy
Episode 5
After beating Leeds, the academy team face a switch-up against unexpected opposition after a match cancellation.
Leicester Tigers are steeped in the history of Rugby. Winning three Premiership titles and back to back European titles in the early 2000s, the club is a giant of the game.
Over the last two decades they have produced some of the best rugby players on the planet and their identity is the embodiment of the English rugby ethos: hard-nosed, fast-paced and at times ruthlessly brutal.
The club have a strong tradition of producing home-grown players. Tigers legends Martin Johnson and Graham Rowntree were developed from a strong youth structure and Tigers recognised very early that an Academy system was needed to develop players capable of playing professional rugby.
In 1998 the Tigers Academy was established with players such as Harry Ellis, Sam Vesty and Louis Deacon among the first to successfully come through the system. In 2002, Tigers were rewarded for their pioneering work with RFU Academy status.
The programme has produced more than 100 age-grade internationals as well as producing British & Irish Lions caps Tom Croft, Dan Cole, Harry Ellis, Ollie Smith, Manu Tuilagi, and Ben and Tom Youngs.
RugbyPass goes behind the scenes of the programme to see what it takes to become a Leicester Tiger; going on a journey with Academy hopefuls over the course of their championship. We see the laughs, we see the pain and we see what it takes to make it at the highest level.
RugbyPass presents: ‘The Academy’.
Latest Comments
I haven’t seen or heard to many whinging about Finau quite the opposite. The TMO’s have reviewed each time and taken no action, so if they have now been alerted it’s not from people whinging The player comes flying out of the line and launches himself at the attacker so it is probably ruled as a committed tackle, but at what point does it move to tackling a player without the ball Time will tell
Go to commentsThis cracked media record of aligning success or failure on head coaches is remarkable. Using the crusaders past history as an example, a more sensible observation and analysis could be that the recent head coaches had inherited a extremely successful combination of players linked to their traditional historical support of the Canterbury people. That period ended this year when the new coach was introduced to virtually a new team. And in a year where other franchises have grown much stronger than their respective past, it was always an anticipated reality that the coach and his new crusader team were up against it. Therefore, I humbly believe that unlike some commentators present, I laud coach Penny and the team for their efforts to date and I am sure given another term and with Canterbury behind them they will be riding high once more. Strange all this coming from me who lives in Taupo and a one eyed chiefs supporter. Can't wait for all future chiefs and crusader games!
Go to comments