The road to captaincy of club and country began with Paul Dodge’s Leicester Tigers debut as a 17-year-old in 1975.

The Leicester-born centre came through the junior rugby set-up in the county and the new Tigers youth team to make his mark at senior level, spending 16 years in the first-team squad at Welford Road.

Dodge made an immediate impression in senior company, gaining his player’s tie for 20 appearances before his 18^th birthday and completing 100 appearances before the age of 21.

Tall, elegant and strong, Dodge was a talent in attack and defence, as well as providing a powerful left boot.

He helped Tigers to six cup finals and captained the inaugural winners of the Courage Clubs’ Championship – the country’s first national league competition – in 1988.

Capped by England at Colts and Under-23 level, Dodge reached full international status in 1978 and captained the national side in 1985, including a summer your to New Zealand.

His career included 437 appearances for Tigers – putting him fifth on the all-time list – and collected 32 caps for England as well as playing two Tests for the British & Irish Lions in South Africa in 1980 after playing a part in England’s Grand Slam that year.

Retiring as England’s most-capped centre, Dodge maintained a link with Tigers in a coaching role and then in work with the next generation of players at the club’s Academy.