Julie Hayton, head of medical and rehabilitation, addressed the Forum, focusing on the type of injuries the medical department see day to day and the resource supplied by the club to get players back on the pitch. She also answered questions from supporters on treatment, injury protocols and how the department dovetails with strength & conditioning and rugby coaching staff.
The Forum also discussed and addressed a number of agenda items on Tigers matchdays, structure and the future, the most important of which are detailed below.
Europe
We were asked for an update on the European club rugby situation, and we are happy to confirm many of the points that have been in the national media.
The English clubs issued notice of their intention to withdraw from the current structure two years ago and have unanimously reiterated this stance. There has been a lot of progress on proposed structure and qualification for a new European tournament, as well as the financial implications, though talks remain ongoing. We remain confident that there will be a European competition for Tigers and the other PRL clubs to play in next season, and have contingency plans in place should this not happen.
We would like to reassure supporters that Tigers and the other PRL clubs are working hard to find a positive outcome as soon as possible and that they can buy their 2014/15 season ticket in confidence. If, after any agreement is made, the number of fixtures included in your ticket is affected, we will adjust your season ticket price accordingly.
We will keep you informed as the situation progresses and hope to have an update from club chief executive Simon Cohen very soon.
Fixture Changes
We understand that one of the biggest challenges we face is the changing dates and times of matches due to selections for live broadcast.
The Leicester Tigers preferred position is to play all home fixtures at 3pm on a Saturday and we make representations on this basis to PRL and the broadcasters.
Premiership Rugby Ltd announced an exclusive new broadcast agreement with BT Sport from the start of the 2013/14 season, and there is also an existing deal with Sky Sports for European and Cup coverage.
The broadcasters work closely with PRL in drawing up their TV selections and notice of changes is given at least 6 weeks in advance of a match.
We appreciate totally that changes are not always convenient for every supporter, which is why we work so hard on the value of our season ticket package, providing the equivalent of five matches free when compared with match-by-match ticket prices, to ensure our core supporters are not affected financially by any changes which are beyond our control.
We have also established a partnership with StubHub where season ticket holders are able to list their tickets for any games they cannot attend and sell them to other supporters at a price chosen by themselves.
We will continue to work to improve this situation on your behalf.
Tigers Family Values
We are very proud that a day out at Leicester Tigers is seen as a safe, comfortable and enjoyable experience for supporters of all ages and we are committed to keeping it that way.
We have been made aware of a small number of customer service problems which supporters feel we can improve on. To assist with our work in these areas we are preparing to publish a set of ‘Tigers Family Values’ in conjunction with the Supporters Forum to include key points which should help everyone to fully enjoy a matchday at Welford Road. This will include items such as respecting goalkickers of both teams, waiting for a break in play before leaving seats to move around the stadium and general respect for all other supporters. Once this has been completed, this list of values will be widely circulated and included in all match ticket details.
We are also increasing the levels of training and knowledge for our stewards to include better advice for supporters and issue management.
Supporters Forum
Leicester Tigers have organised a Supporters Forum at Welford Road for a decade and we now meet six times during the season to answer questions and talk to the group about any ongoing issues as well as where we hope to take the club in the future.
The Supporters Forum is regularly attended by three senior members of the management team – Chris Rose, Laura Horne and Gary Sherrard – as well as other members of the staff and coaching team.
We are available to answer your questions at any time throughout the season.
For more information on the Supporters Forum and the staff who support it, please click here.
