List of Leicester Tigers records and statistics
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article collates key records and statistics relating to Leicester Tigers, including information on honours, player appearances, points and tries, matches, sequences, internationals, season records, opponents and attendances.
Tigers first silverware was the Midlands Counties Cup, Tigers entered this competition from 1881 to 1914. There were then no competitions until 1971 when the RFU Knockout Cup started. Tigers won this for the first time in 1979, the competition continued until 2005 when it was replaced by the Anglo-Welsh Cup which Tigers have won three times, a record since the re-launch and addition of Welsh sides. The league started in 1987 and Tigers were the inaugural champions of England, a play off for the title was introduced in 2003. Leicester hold the record for most Premiership titles (11), the most consecutive Premiership Final appearances (9) and the most Play off appearances (14). On 18 May 2008 against Gloucester at Kingsholm they were the first team to achieve an away semi-final victory in the Premiership play-offs. They were the first side to retain the Heineken Cup after winning the competition in 2001 and 2002.
1st XV
- Champions (11): 1988, 1995, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2013, 2022
- Runners-up (8): 1994, 1996, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2011, 2012, 2025
- Runners-up (1) 2020-21
- Champions (12) 1898, 1899, 1900, 1901, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1905, 1909, 1910, 1912, 1913
- Runners-up (3) 1889, 1891, 1894
Leicester A
- Champions (5) 1895, 1896, 1898, 1899, 1902
- Champions (4) 2005, 2006, 2010, 2011
- Runners-up (1) 2007
Player records
Appearances
Most appearances
- All-time most appearances
Current players in bold.[1]
| # | Nat. | Pos. | Name | Period | Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | FL | David Matthews | 1955–1974 | 502 |
| 2 | | HK | Sid Penny | 1895–1910 | 491 |
| 3 | | SH | John Allen | 1961–1975 | 457 |
| 4 | | HK | Doug Norman | 1919–1933 | 453 |
| 5 | | CE | Paul Dodge | 1975–1993 | 437 |
| 6 | | PR | Graham Rowntree | 1990–2007 | 398 |
| 7 | | FB | Dusty Hare | 1976–1989 | 394 |
| 8 | | SH | Pedlar Wood | 1906–1923 | 388 |
| 9 | | N8 | Garry Adey | 1966–1981 | 381 |
| 10 | | FL | John Wells | 1982–1998 | 367 |
- Most appearances: 502 – David Matthews (29 April 1955 – 23 August 1974)[1]
- Most league appearances: 254 – Dan Cole (13 September 2008 – 14 June 2025)[2]
- Most cup appearances: 51 – Paul Dodge (14 November 1975 – 26 January 1991)[1]
- Most European appearances: 87 – Ben Youngs (17 November 2007 – 5 April 2025)[3][4]
- Most appearances in a single season: 45 – Teddy Haselmere in 1922/23[1]
- Most successive appearances: 109 – David Matthews (14 January 1961 – 7 December 1963)[1]
- Most appearances in cup finals: 13 – Geordan Murphy[1]
- Most appearances as captain:[1]
| # | Nat. | Pos. | Name | Period | Appearances | Wins | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | LK | Martin Johnson | 1995–2005 | 202 | 146 | 72.3 |
| 2 | | WG | Percy Lawrie | 1911–1923 | 165 | 107 | 64.8 |
| 3 | | FB | Arthur Jones | 1896–1904 | 131 | 99 | 75.6 |
| HK | Peter Wheeler | 1973–1981 | 131 | 90 | 68.7 | |
| 5 | | FH | Les Cusworth | 1985–1990 | 130 | 101 | 77.7 |
Youngest and oldest appearances
- Longest spell at club: 27 years 169 days – Graham Willars (17 October 1959 – 4 April 1987)[1]
- Youngest first-team player: 16 years 52 days – Martinus Swain (v Harlequins, 28 December 1895)[1]
- Youngest player in competitive game: 16 years 237 days – George Ford (v Leeds in Anglo-Welsh Cup, 8 November 2009)[1]
- Oldest first-team player: 47 years 135 days – Graham Willars (v Waterloo RFC, 4 April 1987)[1]
- Oldest player in competitive game: 40 years 109 days – Brad Thorn (v Bath in Premiership Rugby, 23 May 2015)[1]
- Oldest debutant: 39 years 243 days – Brad Thorn (v Gloucester, 4 October 2014)[1]
Try and points scorers
Top try scorers
- Top 10 all-time top tryscorers [1] Current players in bold.
| # | Nat. | Pos. | Name | Period | Tries | Apps | Try Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | WG | Percy Lawrie | 1907–1924 | 206 | 318 | 0.648 |
| 2 | | WG | Barry Evans | 1981–1996 | 170 | 273 | 0.623 |
| 3 |  | WG | John Duggan | 1969–1980 | 158 | 302 | 0.523 |
| WG | Bob Barker | 1968–1980 | 158 | 320 | 0.494 | |
| 5 | | WG | Harry Wilkinson | 1895–1905 | 153 | 233 | 0.657 |
| 6 | | WG | Teddy Haselmere | 1918–1924 | 136 | 180 | 0.756 |
| 7 | | WG | Rory Underwood | 1983–1997 | 134 | 236 | 0.568 |
| 8 | | FL | Neil Back | 1990–2005 | 125 | 339 | 0.369 |
| 9 | | FL | David Matthews | 1955–1974 | 119 | 502 | 0.237 |
| 10 | | CE | Ralph Buckingham | 1924–1935 | 117 | 325 | 0.360 |
- Most tries: 206 – Percy Lawrie[1]
- Most league tries: 75 – Neil Back[1]
- Most cup tries: 31 – Harry Wilkinson[1]
- Most European tries: 25 – Geordan Murphy[1]
- Most tries in a game by a player: 7 – Alastair Smallwood (versus Manchester R.F.C. on 30 December 1922)[1]
- Most tries scored in a single season: 59 – Teddy Haselmere in 1919–20[1]
- Most tries scored in a season of Premiership Rugby or National League Division 1: 16 – Neil Back (1998–99)[5]
- Most tries scored in a calendar year: 46 – Teddy Haselmere in 1920[1]
- Most tries scored on debut: 3 – 7 players, most recently Marika Vunibaka (versus Loughborough Students, on 14 November 1997)[1]
Other try-scoring records
- Most consecutive games with a try scored: 8 – Percy Lawrie (19 November 1911 – 28 December 1911)[1]
- Most hat-tricks (or better): 17 – Teddy Haselmere[1]
- Youngest try-scorer: 17 years, 1 month – Charles Wynne (v Birkenhead, 26 December 1913)[1]
- Youngest try-scorer in a competitive match: 18 years, 89 days – Ollie Smith (v Gloucester in 2000–01 Tetley's Bitter Cup, 11 November 2000)
- Oldest try-scorer: 42 years + – Jesse Ball (v Wortley, 4 April 1896)[1]
- Oldest try-scorer in a competitive match: 39 years, 307 days – Brad Thorn (v Toulon in 2014–15 Champions Cup, 7 December 2014)
- Quickest try: 14 seconds – John Duggan (v Moseley, 22 April 1978)[1]
- Quickest hat-trick: 8 minutes – Peter Sandford (v Nuneaton, 20 February 1993)[1]
Top points scorers
Note: Points recorded at contemporary values. See History of rugby union#Method of scoring and points for history of how points values have changed.
- Top 10 all-time points scorers Current players in bold.
| # | Nat. | Pos. | Name | Period | Apps. | Tries | Cons. | Pens | Drop goals |
Marks | Total points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | FB | Dusty Hare | 1976–1989 | 394 | 87 | 779 | 820 | 47 | 0 | 4,507 |
| 2 | | FB | John Liley | 1988–1997 | 230 | 74 | 417 | 449 | 2 | 0 | 2,518 |
| 3 | | FH | Andy Goode | 1998–2008 | 200 | 29 | 275 | 335 | 33 | 0 | 1,799 |
| 4 | | FB | Tim Stimpson | 1998–2004 | 151 | 29 | 223 | 372 | 2 | 0 | 1,713 |
| 5 | | FH | Toby Flood | 2008–2014 | 119 | 25 | 199 | 270 | 1 | 0 | 1,336 |
| 6 | | FH | George Ford | 2009–2022 | 128 | 10 | 198 | 257 | 9 | 0 | 1,244 |
| 7 | | FH | Jez Harris | 1984–1996 | 225 | 23 | 165 | 178 | 70 | 0 | 1,171 |
| 8 | | CE | Harold Day | 1918–1929 | 212 | 108 | 281 | 81 | 4 | 2 | 1,151 |
| 9 | | WG | Bob Barker | 1968–1980 | 320 | 158 | 92 | 107 | 2 | 0 | 1,117 |
| 10 | | FH | Les Cusworth | 1978–1990 | 365 | 66 | 100 | 65 | 96 | 0 | 947 |
- Most points: 4,507 – Dusty Hare[1]
- Most league points: 1,180 – Tim Stimpson[1]
- Most cup points: 531 – Dusty Hare[1]
- Most European points: 406 – Andy Goode[1]
- Most points in a game by a player: 43 – Dusty Hare (v Birmingham on 17 September 1986[1]
- Most points in a Premiership Rugby game: 32 – Tim Stimpson (v Newcastle on 21 September 2001)[6]
- Most points scored in a single season: 486 (9t, 57c, 109p) – Tim Stimpson in 2000–01[1]
- Most points scored in a season of Premiership Rugby or National League Division 1: 321 – Tim Stimpson (1999–2000)[7]
- Most points scored in a calendar year: 451 – Tim Stimpson in 2001[1]
- Most points scored on debut: 27 – Rob Liley (v Boroughmuir on 25 August 1996)[1]
Other point-scoring records
- Youngest points scorer: 16 years, 237 days – George Ford (v Leeds, Anglo-Welsh Cup, 8 November 2009)[1]
- Oldest points scorer: 46 years + – Jesse Ball (v Belgrave St Peters, 11 March 1899)[1]
- Oldest points scorer in a competitive match: 39 years, 307 days – Brad Thorn (v Toulon, 2014–15 Champions Cup, 7 December 2014)
- Quickest points scorer: 12 seconds – Jez Harris (drop goal, v Northampton, 1993–94 Courage League, 8 January 1994)[1]
- Most times scoring all of Leicester's points: 41 games – Dusty Hare[1]
- Most successive points scoring games: 118 games – Dusty Hare (17 December 1983 – 4 August 1987)[1]
Internationals
Italics denotes also national record.
- Most international caps won while at Leicester: 129 – Ben Youngs (127 England, 2 Lions)
- Most England international caps won while at Leicester: 127 – Ben Youngs
- Most Scotland international caps won while at Leicester: 16 – Jim Hamilton
- Most Wales international caps won while at Leicester: 27 – Tommy Reffell
- Most Ireland international caps won while at Leicester: 72 – Geordan Murphy
- Most British and Irish Lions international caps won while at Leicester: 8 – Martin Johnson
- Most international caps won while at Leicester for a non-British or Irish nation: 63 – Martin Castrogiovanni for Italy
- Most international tries scored while at Leicester: 50 – Rory Underwood (49 for England, 1 for Lions)
Awards
The following people associated with club have been inducted into the World Rugby Hall of Fame.
- Tony O'Reilly – inducted in 2009[8]
- Martin Johnson – inducted in 2011[9]
- Clive Woodward – inducted in 2011[10]
- Bob Dwyer – inducted in 2011[11]
- Waisale Serevi – inducted in 2013[12]
- Wavell Wakefield – inducted in 2015[13]
World Rugby Junior Player of the Year
- George Ford – 2011[14]
Premiership Rugby Awards
The following players and coaches have received awards at the end of the Premiership Rugby season, or its predecessor.
Player of the Season
- Martin Johnson – 1996–97, 1998–99[15]
- Neil Back – 1997–98
- Austin Healey – 1999–2000[16]
- Pat Howard – 2000–01[17]
- Martin Corry – 2004–05[18]
- Martin Castrogiovanni – 2006–07[19]
- Tom Youngs – 2012–13[20]
Discovery of the Season Awarded to those players under 23 years old
- Lewis Moody – 2001–02
- Ollie Smith – 2004–05[18]
- Tom Varndell – 2005–06[21]
- Ben Youngs – 2009–10[22]
- Manu Tuilagi – 2010–11[23]
- Ellis Genge – 2016–17[24]
Director of Rugby of the Season
- Dean Richards – 2000–01[17]
- John Wells – 2004–05[18]
- Pat Howard – 2006–07[19]
- Richard Cockerill – 2008–09
- Steve Borthwick — 2021–22[25]
Rugby Players' Association Awards
Players' Player of the Season
- Neil Back – 1998–99[15]
- Martin Corry – 2004–05[26]
- Thomas Waldrom – 2010–11[27]
- Vereniki Goneva – 2013–14[28]
- Telusa Veainu – 2017–18[29]
- Jasper Wiese – 2022–23[30]
Players' Young Player of the Season
- Harry Ellis – 2004–05[26]
- Tom Varndell – 2005–06[21]
- Ben Youngs – 2009–10[31]
- Manu Tuilagi – 2010–11[27]
- Freddie Steward – 2021–22[32]
Team records
Matches
- First match: Leicester 0–0 Moseley, Belgrave Road Cycle and Cricket Ground, 28 October 1880
- First competitive match: Edgbaston Crusaders 1 goal, 2 tries to 0 Leicester, Edgbaston, 22 October 1881 in the Midlands Counties Cup
- First RFU Knock-out Cup match: Nottingham 10–3 Leicester, Ireland Avenue, 21 November 1971
- First Courage League match: Leicester 24–13 Bath, Welford Road, 12 September 1987
- First European Cup match: Leinster 10–27 Leicester, Donnybrook, 16 October 1996
Record wins
- Biggest win: 100–0 (v Liverpool St Helens, 11 April 1992)[1]
- Biggest league win: 83–10 (v Newcastle, 19 February 2005)[1]
- Biggest cup win: 76–0 (v Exeter, 1992–93 Pilkington Cup quarter-final, 27 February 1993)[1]
- Biggest European Cup win: 90–19 (v Glasgow, 1997–98 Heineken Cup quarter-final play off, 1 November 1997)
Record defeats
- Biggest defeat: 10–85 (v Barbarians, 4 June 2000)[1]
- Biggest league defeat: 0–45 (v Bath, 20 September 2014)[1]
- Biggest cup defeat: 7–47 (v London Irish, 1999–2000 Tetley's Bitter Cup Round 5, 29 January 2000)[1]
- Biggest European Cup defeat: 12–80 (v Toulouse, 2024–25 European Rugby Champions Cup pool stage, 19 January 2025)
Other match records
- Highest scoring draw: 41–41 (v Gloucester, 2010–11 Premiership, 16 April 2011)
- Highest scoring European Cup draw: 32–32 (v Ospreys, 2009–10 Heineken Cup pool stage, 11 October 2009)
- Highest scoring cup draw: 28–28 (v Sale, 2003-04 Powergen Cup round 6, 15 November 2003, lost 28-43 in extra time)[1]
High scores and bonus points
- Most points scored
- In a win: 100 (v Liverpool St Helens, 11 April 1992)[1]
- In a defeat: 42 (v Barbarians, 17 March 2006)
- Most points conceded
- In a win: 37 ( v West Hartlepool, 1998–99 Premiership, 16 May 1999)
- In a defeat: 85 (v Barbarians, 4 June 2000)[1]
- Highest combined points: 109 (72–37 win v West Hartlepool, 1998–99 Premiership, 16 May 1999; and 90–19 v Glasgow in 1997–98 Heineken Cup quarter-final play off, 1 November 1997)[1]
- Most tries scored: 19 (v Bedford, 15 February 1919 and v Liverpool St Helens, 11 April 1992)[1]
- Most tries conceded: 13 (v Barbarians, 4 June 2000)[1]
- Quickest bonus point try scored: 15 minutes 54 seconds by Harry Simmons (v Ampthill, Welford Road, 24 September 2023)[33]
Sequences
Longest unbeaten run
- Overall: 22 (all wins, 17 November 1995 to 17 April 1996)[1]
- Home: 42 (all wins, 22 January 2000 to 15 May 2002)[1]
- Away: 10 (all wins, 17 February 1995 to 11 November 1995)
Longest losing run
- Overall: 9 (27 September 1947 to 15 November 1947)[1]
Longest winless run
- Overall: 13 (6 October 1888 to 22 December 1888)[1]
Individual Seasons
- Most games played in a season: 46 (in 1923–24, 1966–67, 1972–73 and 1996–97)[1]
- Most wins in a season: 35 (in 46 games, 1996–97 season)[1]
- Most league wins in a season: 22 (in 26 games, 1998–99 season)[34]
- Fewest wins in a season: 5 (in 27 games, 1889–90 season)[1]
- Fewest league wins in a season: 7 (in 22 games, 2018–19 season)
- Most defeats in a season: 24 (in 32 games, 2018–19 season)
- Most league defeats in a season: 15 (in 22 games, 2018–19 season)[35]
Opponents and Familiarity
All stats correct up to 1 February 2026
- Club played most often: 260 v Northampton Saints (won 146, drawn 19, lost 95)
- Club played most often in the league: 76 v Bath
- Club played most often in domestic cup: 15 v Bath
- Club played most often in European Cup: 16 v Leinster
- Non-home ground Leicester have played on most often: 123 at Franklin's Gardens, Northampton
- Player who has played the most games against one opponent for Leicester: 31 by Sid Penny against Coventry[1]
- Player who has played the most games against Leicester: 38 by Simon Shaw for Bristol, Wasps and Barbarians[1]
Home attendances
Note: Records relate to Welford Road unless otherwise stated
- Highest home attendance: 35,000 v the All Blacks on 4 October 1924[36]
- Highest home league attendance: 25,849 (first occasion v Northampton Saints, 9 January 2016)[36]
- Highest home European Cup attendance: 32,500 v Bath (at Walkers Stadium, 2005–06 Heineken Cup quarter-final, 1 April 2006)
- Highest home cup attendance: 25,849 v Northampton Saints (2016–17 Anglo-Welsh Cup pool stage, 28 January 2017)[37]
- Highest average attendance for a league season: 22,889 (2016–17 Premiership)[37]
Notes and references
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 Farmer, Stuart; Hands, David. Tigers - Official history of Leicester Football Club. The Rugby DevelopmentFoundation. pp. 440–516. ISBN 978-0-9930213-0-5.
- ↑ "Dan Cole reaches 'truly remarkable' milestone in East Midlands derby while England duo return for Harlequins". Planet Rugby. 13 April 2024. Retrieved 15 December 2024.
- ↑ "Youngs sets Tigers record in Europe". Leicester Tigers. 21 May 2021. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
- ↑ "Ben Youngs career stats". itsrugby. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
- ↑ "Most Tries by player by season". ESPNscrum. Retrieved 29 April 2017.
- ↑ "Most points by player by game". ESPNscrum. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
- ↑ "Most points by player by season". ESPNscrum. Retrieved 12 May 2017.
- ↑ "Tony O'Reilly Hall of Fame profile". Retrieved 19 January 2017.
- ↑ "Martin Johnson Hall of Fame profile". Retrieved 19 January 2017.
- ↑ "Clive Woodward Hall of Fame profile". Retrieved 19 January 2017.
- ↑ "Bob Dwyer Hall of Fame profile". Retrieved 19 January 2017.
- ↑ "Waisale Serevi Hall of Fame profile". Retrieved 19 January 2017.
- ↑ "Wavell Wakefield Hall of Fame profile". Retrieved 19 January 2017.
- ↑ World, Rugby (24 October 2011). "George Ford named IRB Young Player of the Year". Rugby World. Retrieved 14 February 2020.
- 1 2 "Rugby Union: Leicester's Johnson is player of season". Independent.co.uk. 19 May 1999. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
- ↑ "Healey grabs Allied Dunbar award". BBC. 24 May 2000. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
- 1 2 "Howard claims top prize". BBC. 15 May 2001. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
- 1 2 3 "Leicester clean up at premiership awards ceremony". ESPNscrum. 5 May 2005. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
- 1 2 "Castrogiovanni wins player award". BBC. 10 May 2007. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
- ↑ "Leicester's Tom Youngs named Premiership player of the season". BBC. 9 May 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
- 1 2 "Varndell Wins Second Award" (Press release). Leicester Tigers. 24 May 2006.
- ↑ "Leicester Tigers' Ben Youngs nets top award". Leicester Mercury. 19 May 2010. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
- ↑ "Manu Tuilagi picks up Discovery of the Season award". Leicester Mercury. 11 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
- ↑ "Leicester Tigers' Ellis Genge takes Discovery of the Year crown at Aviva Premiership Awards". Leicester Mercury. 18 May 2017.[permanent dead link]
- ↑ Bridge, Bobby (8 June 2022). "Premiership Rugby Awards: Steve Borthwick and Ben Earl win top prizes". Leicester Mercury. Retrieved 9 June 2022.
- 1 2 "Tiger Corry picks up second award". BBC. 1 May 2005. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
- 1 2 "Leicester Tiger Thomas Waldrom wins Rugby Players' award". BBC. 26 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
- ↑ "Goneva crowned Computacenter Players' Player of the Year" (Press release). RPA. 22 May 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2017.
- ↑ "Telusa Veainu wins RPA POTY, Marcus Smith and Sir Clive Woodward also honoured". ESPN. 10 May 2018. Retrieved 10 May 2018.
- ↑ "Jasper Wiese: Leicester Tigers forward wins RPA players' player of year award". BBC Sport. 17 May 2023. Retrieved 18 May 2023.
- ↑ "Youngs wins RPA award". Sky Sports. 26 May 2010. Retrieved 19 May 2017.
- ↑ "Springbok centre honoured to win players' player of the year award". RugbyPass. 26 May 2022. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
- ↑ Farmer, Stuart [@Stu_Farmer] (24 September 2023). "Farmer tweet" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
15:54 that's @LeicesterTigers quickest bonus point ever beating the one against Calvisano in 2019
- ↑ "League matches won by season". ESPNscum. 21 May 2017.
- ↑ "League matches lost by season". ESPNscrum. 19 May 2019.
- 1 2 "Welford Road sets post-War record attendance" (Press release). Leicester Tigers. 9 January 2016.
- 1 2 "Welford Road welcomes record support" (Press release). Leicester Tigers. 5 May 2017.