Leicester Tigers have confirmed an upcoming exhibition fixture against Georgian club Black Lion. The two big cats will collide at Leicester’s home turf of Mattioli Woods Welford Road next month, in what will be a historic exhibition match.
The Premiership heavy-hitters are set to field ‘a Leicester Tigers XV’, which denotes that this friendly match can provide some of the aspiring Tiger cubs with an opportunity to impress against Black Lion. The Georgian club will be making their first appearence in the East Midlands on Friday 3rd of May, and speaking about the fixture, Leicester Tigers Head Coach Dan McKellar said:
“We’re pleased to be able to add an additional home game to our program and excited to welcome Georgia Black Lion to Mattioli Woods Welford Road.”
“Developing our squad and club coaches and staff is critical and this game will give them an opportunity to play a quality opposition at our home ground.”
Black Lion are coached by former Leicester hooker and coach Richard Cockerill, who also takes up the helm of the Georgian national team. The Black Lion boast more than a dozen Georgian internationals in their squad, and the ‘Lelos’ have recorded five wins in their five outings so far in 2024.
Discussing the return to Welford Road Cockerill said: “I’m really looking forward to bringing a Georgian team back to my old stomping ground.”
“Leicester has been a huge part of my life in rugby and many of my fondest memories, as both a player and a coach, involve games played at Mattioli Woods Welford Road, which has a unique atmosphere and history.
“This fixture is a fantastic opportunity for the Black Lion to take on one of Europe’s finest clubs after the successful first outing in the EPCR Challenge Cup. I can’t wait to introduce the Mattioli Woods Welford Road faithful to Georgian rugby and for the Black Lion squad to get a taste of the Leicester experience.”