Leicester Tigers are kicking off a season-long celebration of 125 years at the club’s iconic Welford Road Stadium.
The club will stage a series of events and activities throughout the season, starting at the opening fixture of the 2017/18 Aviva Premiership season at home to Bath on Sunday, September 3. The club has also launched a ‘125’ crest, which will be on display around the stadium.
The club’s heritage is celebrated through the work of its own Time Team, which includes former Tigers and England captain Peter Wheeler, who made 349 appearances for the club and became its first chief executive; ex-centre Mike Harrison, who played 210 times for the first-team and served as club president between 2009-2013; club historian and official statistician Stuart Farmer; and museum installations designer and Tigers fan Harvey Gardiner.
The Time Team is also supported by members of the Tigers management team to help drive its heritage projects.
Tigers first moved into their current home on land between Welford Road and Aylestone Road in Leicester city centre towards the end of the 19th Century.
The first fixture was played on September 10, 1892 with a 17-0 victory over a Leicestershire XV. The lease for the land was signed in March 1892 and the club initially invested £1,100 to transform it into a playing area.
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Chris Rose, Tigers head of brand, said: “Welford Road is a special place that has witnessed some of rugby’s greatest successes in the last 125 years. That’s why we want to celebrate the occasion with the fans and everyone involved with the club with a season full of special events.
“While the appearance of Welford Road may have changed over the years, the atmosphere and support continues to be the best around. And now we are entering an exciting new era with proposals for a hotel development on the adjacent land.
“The opening home game of the new season is the perfect way to kick off our celebrations and we hope everyone enjoys what we have in store.”